He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord." Deuteronomy 8:3
It is quite apparent we have forgotten this truth that was revealed not only in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy but also in the New Testament in Matthew 4:4:
But He answered and said, "It is written,
"Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."
As I prayerfully pondered these verses several things stood out to me. Every word of God is needed for us to live the life God intended for each one of us individually. We can’t get this from each other. It requires time alone with God and His Word. Notice how it says every Word or everything that proceeds out of the mouth of God. I believe this refers to the Rhema, the spoken word by the Holy Spirit within you. It is when you are studying and meditating in His Presence seeking a relationship simply out of a heart of love for Him desiring to know and understand His truths and wisdom. This is a very different experience than when we read the Bible academically. We gain knowledge with no understanding which most often produces legalism and self righteousness. Seeking the Rhema, (God’s Word spoken to you) is how we truly become a disciple of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
One of the biggest contributing factors is not obeying one of the most often quoted, but not lived out, commandments in Scripture found in Matthew 28:19-20 decreeing:
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
When we read the Word for ourselves we will find the whole truth, not just partial truths. We find every Word we need to hear to be His genuine, honest disciples. According to Jesus just confessing Him, and saying you believe is only the beginning of a lifetime process. We as His disciples are to follow Him in how He discipled His own. We who have become bond slaves of Christ have the responsibility of making disciples. However, we cannot help others to become what we are not. Being a follower of Christ means exactly that; we follow His example He left us in Scripture. We cannot just have knowledge of the Word, but we must acquire the wisdom and understanding of how to apply it in our everyday lives moment by moment. This can only come from the spoken revelation of the Word by the Holy Spirit. He brings it to life in our lives, and then we can do so for others.
We as a church and as a society do not regard food as a necessity for well being, but as an idol we have come to worship and binge on. Obesity is our largest cause of death and makes us more susceptible to covid, cancer, diabetes, heart issues, or any other disease. We have the largest percentage of obesity ever in the history of our nation. How far we have fallen away from the guiding truth of God. We cannot survive by only feeding the physical. We are eternal, spiritual beings. Our physical body is only temporal; yet we live as though this life on earth is all there is. That is a lie you must not believe.
May I encourage you to consider in your life how much you are consuming for your physical body in comparison to the amount you are feeding your spirit man which is eternal. What messed up priorities we live out! The consequences are self indulgence leaving us unfulfilled, and never satisfied. But the most agonizing truth is how many lives will end up in hell, which is as real as heaven according to the Word of God, because we choose to be lovers of pleasure and lovers of self, rather than lovers of God and His ways. It is time to wake up, and be sober minded, and to sift our lives continuously living by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
In His love.
Teresa Roberts
Masterpiece Fitness
276-237-6680
Photos this week from a trail run at Doughton Park in Traphill, NC.
