Jesus loved the Word
In my many years as a believer, and across a number of different denominations, I have fallen in with the folks who love the Book.
If there is a spectrum - and I don't like this division of denominations - between "Spirit" (or charismatic) and "Word" (normally Reformed), I have ended up towards the Word end of the spectrum.
I don't like the spectrum, because without the Spirit, the Word is a dead letter and without the Word, the Spirit has lost His voice. We need both Word and Spirit.
But after saying that, I have found that the "Word" churches in general love the word and respect its authority more than the "Spirit" churches, and my guess, for what it is worth, is that only the "Word" churches will, in the end, be able to stand up against the massive anthropological attack upon the Church today.
That be as it may, I love the Word mostly because our Saviour Loved the Word. We know that because he had stored it up in his mind and heart. And we know that because it came out of his lips, for out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks, and Jesus often spoke the Word.
When Tempted Jesus used the Sword of the Spirit
One great example is recorded in Matthew 4, and it is our memory verse for the day. Jesus was hungry after fasting for 40 days. Satan did not come to him on day 1, nor 10, nor 20, nor 30, but on day 40, when his body was starving.
Now Jesus was weak, now was the time to strike, or so thought the tempter: "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread," he challenges Jesus.
The temptation is two-fold. First note the "if you are the Son of God" trick. Satan is wanting Jesus to question and doubt who he was, and then he wanted Jesus to respond to his personal doubts with a dispelling miracle.
The other side of this temptation was to give in to his committment to fasting, to give in to his bodily desires. After all, Jesus must know that "40" was the Bible code word for the duration of a trial - remember forty years wandering in the desert? - it's OK to eat today, says Satan.
No it isn't, tomorrow is the time to end the fast.
But Satan did not reckon with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Jesus replied, and here is our verse for the day:
"Man does not live by bread alone but on every word that
comes from the mouth of God."
(Matthew 4:4)
Jesus took up the all-powerful sword of the Spirit and pierced the heart of the enemy and put out his fiery temptation, with one verse of Scripture.
"Satan", says Jesus, if I may paraphrase for a moment, "you want me to eat bread and satisfy my human and physical desires, but I tell you that according to the Scriptures, life isn't just about bread, we truly live by the spiritual food of God's every word."
Summing it All Up
An old man - in fact an old church elder - once said to me, and what a confession this was! "Roy, I am amazed at how easily distracted I am from reading the Bible. I can sit in my front room and find the Newspaper on the coffee table more appealing than the Bible!"
The enemy knows how to strike us - keep Christian away from the Bible.
But if we are wise, we will resist Satan's attempts and make God's word the delight of every day. It may only be a verse, or a portion, or a chapter, but if we are disciplined with God's help we will discover its power and life and the grace of God.
"Man does not live by bread alone but on every word that
comes from the mouth of God."
(Matthew 4:4)
A SONG FOR THE DAY
A lovely song from the early days of contemporary church music.
Seek ye first the Kingdom of God
And His righteousness
And all these things shall be added unto you
Hallelu, Hallelujah!
Ask and it shall be given unto you
Seek and ye shall find
Knock and the door shall be opened unto you
Hallelu, Hallelujah!
Man shall not live by bread alone
But by every word
That proceeds from the mouth of God
Hallelu, Hallelujah!
Karen Lafferty
You can join in HERE.
A PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Our loving Father in heaven,
We thank you for your Word. Sometimes it seems so weak - just words on a page - but teach us that it is the powerful sword of the Spirit with which we can enjoy victory over the enemy and life within our hungry souls.
Teach us through that Word of the One who came into the world full of grace and truth. Help us to love him more each day.
For we ask these simple things in Jesus' Name
Amen
Photo by Humble Lamb on Unsplash
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