What do you need to survive?
“Man does not live on bread alone.” (Deuteronomy 8:3)
Studies tell us that human beings can go up to three weeks without food and three or four days without water. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to try that. Even if it’s several hours past meal time I know that I start to feel faint and my stomach growls. I can’t imagine what it would feel like to go several days without water or several weeks without food.
Our verse for this week picks up on that thought and reminds us that while we so often thing about physical survival, we need to think even more about spiritual survival.
These words are part of the encouragement which God gives to his Old Testament people, Israel, as they are about to enter The Promised Land. The general idea of the encouragement is to remember that they cannot do things on their own and that they need to remember to look to the Lord for strength and help.
With that background, think about our verse for this week. Consider how often our primary focus can become our physical matters and making sure that our every physical want and desire is fulfilled. There is nothing wrong with looking after our physical needs, but this is a reminder to also make sure that we give our spiritual needs a great priority as they determine our eternal destiny.
Our verse for this week and the sentence which follows give us some fantastic guidance and reminders for keeping our spiritual life our #1 priority. “Bread” means every one of our physical needs or desires. The sentence which follows gives us the key “but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord”. God’s Word, the Bible, is the only thing which can guide and direct our spiritual life in the right way, giving us the strength and wisdom the fight through the temptations and troubles which try to derail us on the path to heaven.
Jesus himself quoted the words of our verse for this week when Satan tried to tempt him to change stones into bread to quench his hunger. This was part of Jesus’ 40 days of temptation by the devil in the wilderness (Luke 4:1–13). If the perfect Son of God, in his human state, needed to lean on his heavenly Father for spiritual strength to withstand temptation, how much more, do we as weak, sinful people need to get every ounce of strength we can from “every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord”?
I would encourage you to use our Bible verse for this week as the impetus to do an in-depth analysis of how you plan to survive in your spiritual life.
This newer Christian hymn “I Run to Christ” gives some great encouragement on this subject
I run to Christ when chased by fear And find a refuge sure.
“Believe in me,” His voice I hear; His words and wounds secure.
I run to Christ when torn by grief And find abundant peace.
“I too had tears,” He gently speaks; Thus joy and sorrow meet.
I run to Christ when worn by life And find my soul refreshed.
“Come unto Me,” He calls through strife; Fatigue gives way to rest.
I run to Christ when vexed by hell And find a mighty arm.
“The Devil flees,” the Scriptures tell; He roars, but cannot harm.
I run to Christ when stalked by sin And find a sure escape.
“Deliver me,” I cry to Him; Temptation yields to grace.
I run to Christ when plagued by shame And find my one defense.
“I bore God’s wrath,” He pleads my case— My Advocate and Friend.