Living by the Word of God

Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4)

Jesus’ words strike me on two levels.

We live in a world where the world is trying to impress its values upon us. And often times, those values are contrary to God’s Word.

The question is: do we know God’s Word well enough that we can test the things we hear?

When we hear the lies of the world, can we say with Jesus, “It is written” and give God’s perspective on things?

Or are we clueless because we are not feeding our minds and souls with the Word of God on a regular basis?

It’s also important to ask ourselves, “Do I really believe the Bible is God’s Word? Will I hold to it even when it contradicts the world’s way of thinking, or even my own?”

Too many people, even Christians, will say, “I accept what the Bible says here, but I don’t accept this.”

But Jesus certainly didn’t think that way. He lived his life based on every word that came out of the mouth of his Father. How can we do less?

But to live on every word that comes from the mouth of God does not simply mean knowing and believing it. It also means to obey it.

A large part of that is obeying what the Bible says. But it’s also listening to the guidance of the Spirit each day and following him. Honestly, I’m still learning to do that.

But let me be clear: The Spirit will never tell you something contrary to what God has revealed in the Bible.

So if you think the Spirit is saying something opposite to what the Bible teaches, then you’re hearing wrong. And that is another reason why we need to know the Bible well. It helps us know what is the Spirit’s voice and what is not.

How about you? Are you feeding on the Word of God daily? And are you following the leading of the Spirit?