Each January I choose a Bible verse to focus on throughout the year. This year, I chose Matthew 4:4, in which Jesus answers Satan's temptation to feed his physical hunger by saying, "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." I selected this verse because I knew I needed more of the Word of God in my daily life.
As a pastor's wife, you can bet that I have a lot of Bible "head knowledge." It's true that I've read through the Bible in its entirety more than once in my life. However, reading the Bible is much more than a race, or a task to be checked off on a to-do list. I need to remember that the words of the Bible are the very words of God! They are His love letter to me. They tell me about His nature. They are living and active. There is power in the words, if I let them sink in and penetrate deep down into my life, down to the very center of my soul. By choosing this verse, I wanted to remind myself that reading God's Word is every bit as essential to my life as feeding my stomach. Like the fresh manna that the Israelites collected day by day in the wilderness, I long to nourish myself with fresh words from God every day.
Jesus reminds us of this truth when his disciples ask him to teach them to pray. Included in his answer, the very familiar "Lord's Prayer," is a petition to God to "give us this day our daily bread." I don't think Jesus is merely reminding us to ask God to feed us physically. I think he's reminding us of our need for spiritual nourishment. In another passage, Jesus told his followers, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."
I'm so thankful for the Daily Bread of God's Word! How about you? Share in the comments your favorite verse.
Mine is deut 30:19!
ReplyDeleteI am the bread of life.
ReplyDelete