And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these fourty years in the wilderness, to humble you, and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 8:2-3)
God had sustained the people in the wilderness with a food previously unknown to them. Israel’s food in the wilderness was decreed, or came by the Word of God. They had manna, their daily bread, only because it came by God’s command; therefore, ultimately it was not bread that kept them alive, but God’s Word. Every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God – An even more important source of sustenance than food, it nutures our spiritual needs in a way that benefits us eternally, rather than just taking care of our temporary physical hunger.
These was Jesus first reference of defense against Satan when He was led by the Spirit to be tempted after fasting for fourty days (Matt.4:1-4). And in the gospel of John we read, “I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the Bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living Bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world. (John 6:48-51)
Beloved friend, Israel’s testing is a reminder that God often needs to test us, to see show us what’s really in our hearts. Are we really living our lives from faith based on His Word, and is it really making a difference so that others might know this truth? We are to be living our lives from the truth of God’s Word.
May the Lord bless your walk today!
