Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

Matthew 4:3-5

In my last blog, “A Little Food for Thought,” I tried to answer a question that had been posed to me concerning my outlook on life: Optimist, Pessimist, or Realist? This has prompted me to give a little more consideration to this subject. However, this time, I am going to reverse the title from “A Little Food for Thought” to “A Little Thought for Food.”

In the passage cited above, Jesus makes the assertion, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” An interesting concept, wouldn’t you agree? Let’s try to understand this thought-provoking statement made by our Lord.

First, let’s give attention to the comparison Jesus is drawing. He is comparing the importance of eating food with that of listening to God. In one way this is a rather simple comparison to make. We have to eat to live. Man cannot survive very long without the consumption of food. Therefore, the consuming of God’s Word, spiritual food, is just as necessary as the consumption of food for the body.

But, second, there is something of far more importance than this simple comparison. There is no sin in the desire for food, or the consumption of food. These are natural. This is the way God created us. However, there is a deeper, darker component to this temptation. As a matter of fact, it is sinister at its core. It is a diversionary tactic of the devil to try to make Jesus think the Father does not love Him. The underlying sentiment is that if God really loved Jesus, He would do a better job of providing for Him.

And, the devil has not changed his tactics. He is still up to his old, ageless tricks. When some form of adversity comes our way, he plants the same thought in our minds, doesn’t he? “Oh, God really doesn’t love you, does He? If He did He wouldn’t let you suffer like this. If He really loved you, don’t you think He would take better care of you?” And with this, the seed of doubt enters the mind, and the root of despair begins to grow.

If these doubts linger, and we begin to dwell on them, then we open ourselves up to the onslaught of our enemy. Rest assured, if we give him an inch, he will become our ruler. We will move from doubting God, to being angry with God, to complaining about God, to revolting against God, to walking away from God, and ultimately to defaming God in the eyes and ears of others.

Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.

Psalm 119:11

If we neglect feasting on the Word of God, then we become impoverished spiritually. The psalmist had learned this lesson, as evidenced in the verse cited above. Jesus stated clearly that we need to feed on the Word of God, and the psalmist states that by doing this we will safeguard ourselves against falling into sin. Neglecting to feast on His Word weakens us spiritually just as neglecting to eat nourishing food weakens us physically.

So, let’s give ourselves some spiritual nourishment by regularly feasting on a little thought for food. Do you have a daily time in which you get alone with the Father, feasting on His Word? Do you have the habit of storing His Word in your heart so that it might strengthen you in times of weakness, encourage you in times of discouragement, guide you in times of uncertainty, guard you in times of temptation? His Word is our source of life: fulfilling life, satisfying life, contented life, courageous life, victorious life. But, if we are not feasting regularly from this lavish table provided by our loving Father, then we open ourselves up to all the subtle tactics of the enemy of our souls.

So, come to the table, eat to your heart’s content, feasting on the lavish spread the Father has set before you. I assure you, you will not be disappointed.