The Word

By Samantha Rodriguez

“He answered, ‘It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”—Matthew 4:4 (HCSB)

I don’t know about you, but I am a HUGE foodie. Ask any one of my friends or family, and they will tell you how much I love food. To this day, I still count the cookies I bake to make sure they are evenly distributed among my family. I even think about what I want to have for breakfast as I try to fall asleep! 

Hopefully, you can relate on some level to my love of food; but even if you don’t, there’s no denying that food is necessary for our survival. Just like the Lord gave us food to keep us alive, nourished, and happy, the Lord gave us His Word to act as food for our souls. The same cravings I so often get for an acai bowl or ice cream should parallel my daily hunger for the Word of God. 

You may be wondering, Why should we crave God’s Word? Why should we read this book of seemingly old and irrelevant stories? Firstly, the Word of God is not just another book. It is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12–13). It is eternal (Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 24:35). It is the main source of communication from God to us (2 Timothy 3:16), and it is the truth (John 17:17). In Matthew 4, we see Jesus spend 40 days fasting in the wilderness. When Satan attempts to persuade Him into turning some stones into bread, Jesus answers by quoting part of Deuteronomy 8:3 (HCSB): “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” Through this response, Jesus reminds us that the words of God are still our source of life.

Every page in the Bible tells the story of Jesus Christ. Yes, every single story points to the story of our Savior’s superiority and grace. Within all those pages, the Lord has revealed to us every beautiful and holy aspect of Himself, even though our finite minds may not be able to comprehend it all yet. 

When we realize how rich God’s Word is, we will begin to understand why it is so important to read and know. Our Father gave us His Word because He knew it would be what we cling to in times of good and times of bad. Through abiding in His Word, God teaches us and speaks to us. He convicts us and equips us. Above all, though, our Father gave us His Word so that we could know Him intimately, so that we could experience His loving grace, and so that He could guide us into His perfect truth in order that we may live purposefully, thankfully, and passionately. What a truly amazing gift!

DIG: Instructions and rules can often make us feel restricted, yet many of the Psalms focus on praising the Lord for His instruction and commands. Why do you think they would praise God for this? Think about who wrote the Psalms. How can we adopt their same attitude towards God’s Word?

DISCOVER: Pray and ask the Lord to speak to you through his Word today. Open up your Bible to a passage that comes to mind and just read and meditate on it. Journal or take notes in your Bible about what you feel the Lord is trying to teach or show you.

DO: The Word of God is meant to be built upon, lived out, and shared. Take a step of faith to live out what you just read in the “discover” section. Even try to share what you read with someone who may need it.