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September 23
He humbled you, and in your hunger He gave you manna to eat, which neither you nor your fathers had known, so that you might understand that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. — Deut 8:3 BSB
This is the grand lesson we must learn in our wilderness journey—“that man does not live by bread alone,” meaning that we are not sustained only by what meets our natural needs. Thanks be to God for the bread He gives us through His gracious providence. To earn an honest living is a great mercy, and being able to support our families, even with modest comfort, is a great blessing. But God has ordained that His people should not live by bread alone. They are set apart from those who think only of material things—whose entire focus is on what they will eat, drink, and wear, on how they will secure their livelihood and provide for their households. Their thoughts never rise above the business of daily life, the pursuit of wealth, or the management of their affairs.
But for God’s people, He has planted within them a higher life, a deeper purpose, and a greater hunger than mere bread can satisfy. We thank Him for His provision, but we love Him for His grace. We are grateful for the daily blessings that sustain us physically, but we know they are temporary, passing away with use. God has provided something eternal for us. What, then, are we meant to live on? “Every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” And where do we find these words? In Scripture, which is the food for God’s people—especially when it is applied to the heart by the power of God. It is the very words of God, spoken into our souls, received by faith, and made alive through His Spirit that nourish us.
And see how abundant this supply is. Consider the vast treasure of truth laid up in God’s Word, which has been given to sustain His Church. Shouldn’t this encourage us to seek and treasure the Scriptures, to read and meditate on them, to strive to understand God’s mind as revealed in His Word, knowing that it is our spiritual food? If we truly believed that every word of Scripture came from the mouth of God to feed our souls, how much more diligently would we read and study it?