DaySpring Daily Word of Inspiration: Matthew 4:4 – Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Proper nutrition is a key aspect of life for us all. What we feed our bodies is crucial to the overall health of our mind, body and souls. With that knowledge, what are we tempted with on a daily basis to put into our mind, body, and spirit? If we’re not feeding ourselves that which will enrich our lives, we could be falling for the tricks of taking in “fast food” that has no true substance. In our spiritual lives this is even more important. When we’re not feeding on the goodness of God’s word, we can succumb to what we know, what is easy or what we’re being told. We get tricked into thinking we have enough God in our lives but then we don’t grow properly because of our need more substance and nourishment to sustain life and be spiritually healthy.
Much to the same effect, Jesus points out that as a man lives, he needs nourishment. The problem is that he can’t just live on the physical things of this world alone, but he needs to be filled with substance for his spirit which only comes from God’s word. We are tempted daily to think that the physical things of this life will provide the fulfillment that we desire. Unfortunately, as we accumulate more and more stuff (money, prestige, esteem, fame, property) we still long for more. Well why is that? You would think once you’ve acquired all of this stuff, you would finally be content; happy that you’ve got everything you wanted and need. The reality is that the longing we have internally isn’t of a physical nature. There is nothing in this world that could satisfy the gaping hole in our souls. Only Jesus Christ can fill this void and the Word of God is the continual nutrition that fortifies and enriches our lives.
The tempters job is to always keep our focus from being fixed on God and his ultimate will for our lives. Just as in the context of this scripture, the enemy tries to use the obvious to make Jesus focus in on his problem rather than focusing in on God. How does that look for you and me? When bills come due and we don’t have the funds to pay them, the enemy would have you focus on your lack rather than focus on the strengthening of your faith and seeing an opportunity for God to reveal himself. The enemy will fight us with what we see but we have to be ready to combat that with what is truth in knowledge; but we only get that from the absolute Word of God. As we live by every word in the bible we gain a different prospective and a confidence in where our provisions come from. We have a true provider and what He offers is much more than our immediate circumstances; it is providence, a genuine faith, and the recognition that we need more of Him.
What are you being tempted with right now in your personal life? No matter what it is, I’m pretty sure it’s something that is trying to make YOU take the power into your own hands. It’s a situation that is making you depend on what YOU know and/or how YOU should handle it. Recognize that this is a trick or tactic of the enemy to take the focus off of what you actually need, which is God’s word, God’s direction, God’s hand to move, God’s faithfulness to you, and God’s truth to be activated in your life. Just as Jesus was tempted, you can expect to be tempted to shift your focus from God to the things of this world.
Today we want you to surrender you problems to the Lord. Lay your burdens on the altar of grace and pray that God replenishes you from his word so that your focus on him can be strengthen and your security be rooted in his power and promises. Let’s not allow the enemy to make suggestions outside of the truth we know in God’s word! Feed on the full word of God so that even when tempted, your fullness of Christ keeps you unmovable. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!