DAILY ENCOUNTER

HUNGER FOR THE WORD

"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4

Glory to God! Yesterday, we discussed the power of prayer, which is how we speak to God. Today, we are going to look at how God speaks to us, and that is through His Word. Our opening scripture is taken from the temptation of our Lord Jesus in the wilderness. Jesus had fasted for forty days and forty nights, and the Bible says He was afterwards hungry. When the devil showed up: at the point of His hunger, the devil said to Him, 'If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.' It sounded reasonable, because the man was hungry and bread was a real need. But Jesus answered, 'It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.' Think about how seriously we take physical hunger. We wake up and we want breakfast; by afternoon we are looking for lunch; we even snack in between. Nobody has to remind us to eat. If we skip meals for a day, our body complains. Yet many believers can go days, even weeks, without a proper meal from the Word of God, and the spirit man is starving without anyone raising an alarm. That is why so many are weak, easily offended, and easily moved by every wind that blows. Hunger is a sign of health; a sick person loses appetite. When the appetite for the Word disappears, it is time to examine our spiritual condition.

Jesus was quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3, where Moses reminded Israel that God allowed them to hunger in the wilderness and then fed them with manna, so that they would know that man does not live by bread alone. In other words, God wanted them to understand that their real source of life was not what was on the table but what came out of His mouth (listen to 'understanding the prophetic' message of last Sunday). Notice also that Jesus overcame the devil with the Word. He did not argue or shout. He simply said, 'It is written.' You cannot say 'it is written' if you have not read what is written. Job said, 'I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.' That is hunger! Job placed God's Word above his daily meals. So, today, ask yourself: what do I hunger for the most? If we are not hungry for the Word, we should ask God to give us an appetite for it. The more you eat, the more you desire. Make a decision to feed on the Word every single day; do not leave it for Sundays alone. Start with a little each morning, and let it grow into a habit you cannot do without. Open your Bible before you open your phone, and see how your day changes. A well-fed spirit is a strong spirit. You will not starve, you will not be defeated, and you will walk in the strength that only the Word can give. Hallelujah!!!

FURTHER STUDY

Deuteronomy 8:2-18; Job 23:12; Jeremiah 15:16 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. How hungry am I for God's Word compared with how hungry I am for food, and what does my daily routine say about it?
2. What specific time and place can I set aside each day to feed on the Word of God?

PRAYERS

Father, thank You for Your word. Create in me a deep hunger for Your Word, and let it nourish my spirit every day in Jesus's name. Amen. Hallelujah!!!