Jesus was Man and Relied on God

This morning I am reading Luke’s account of Jesus and His temptations in the wilderness by the devil. Where the events are the same, the take brought more to my thinking. Matthew recounted the event that Jesus had been fasting for 40 days and where Luke follows the timing, he uses a different take.

“¹And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness ²for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry.” – Luke 4:1-2 (ESV)

Luke indicates that Jesus was “hungry”. I don’t know about you, but if I had been fasting for 40 days, I would certainly be hungry. I believe that here Luke really tells us of the humanity of Jesus, and he shows more to the state Jesus was in to be tempted by the devil. I know that it would have been difficult for me to not use my God given power to feed myself.

Jesus is shown to be fully man here. And He demonstrates His full reliance on the Father for with His statement to the devil when tempted with turning stone into bread.

“³The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.’ ⁴And Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone.”’” – Luke 4:3-4 (ESV)

And this is where Luke ends that temptation in recall to you and me. This to me is important in that Jesus leaves it here. He allows the devil to stew in the statement and get on with things. Jesus allowed God to just protect Him from the evil. The devil I am sure was like, “what, no preaching at me” and I can see him to start with the frustration of knowing that he did not have much of a chance after that.

The lesson for me that I am taking away is that I can just keep things simple and allow God to do His work in my life and protect me from all that comes my way. The devil is going to come after me and do so when I am the weakest. I have to do as Jesus did and rely on God, knowing that He will not let me perish to the devil. He will allow me to be tempted and only awaits for my reliance on Him and He will deal with it on my behalf, just as He did with Jesus there in the wilderness.

I am man and Jesus was as well. I have the example of how to proceed in this world. I have to rely on God and keep things simple on my end. The Father will not let me perish and will guard me against the evil that comes.

What approach are you taking? Are you out there doing more than you need to do in the fight against the evil one? What if you just kept it simple and relied on God to do the work to protect and fight against the evil one?

By God’s Word Not Bread

God’s Word is more than enough for my life to proceed in this world. I only need His Word and that which He provides for me.

“⁴But he answered, ‘It is written,

“Man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’”

— Matthew 4:4 (ESV)

Here we find Jesus being tempted by the devil. Jesus lets the devil know in no uncertain terms that bread of the world is not enough to live by and that it is the Word of God that we should be hanging on.

I know, but we need nourishment for our bodies. I agree, but that is not what is needed for us to truly live. Living is doing the work of the LORD and not eating a meal. Last night in my home we had a wonderful steak and some potatoes and green beans and honeydew melon for dinner and topped it off with some homemade banana pudding. It was delicious and a wonderful fulfilling meal. Yet, this morning I am hungry again. I have to decide what to have to eat and locate it and cook it. So my living was only for a moment.

Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well and offered her living water.

“¹³Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’” – John 4:13-14 (ESV)

Jesus made it clear to the woman that we cannot live on the nourishment of the world and that even when received it is only for a short while and we will again be looking for more. Yet with the Word of God, we only need to turn back to Him and we will receive. I only need to pray to the LORD and He will hear me and provide for me.

Now I am not saying that we do not need the nourishment for our bodies, because I do need to be physically well. The thing that I am saying is that it is not the physical bread that gets me through and provides for my ability to serve the LORD and do His will. It is the love, direction, comfort, and guidance that gets me through. He will provide the physical bread as He did for the Israelite people in the wilderness and for Himself and the disciples as they traveled in ministry. I have to look to Him for all and know that when doing so, I will never go hungry for His guidance nor for the food to eat.

What bread are you looking for daily? Are you in constant lookout for the next meal? What if instead, you were to be on the lookout for the LORD and His will and allow Him to provide all that you will need in accomplishing His work?

Remember the Bread God Gives

“³⁹He spread a cloud for a covering,

and fire to give light by night.

⁴⁰They asked, and he brought quail,

and gave them bread from heaven in abundance.

⁴¹He opened the rock, and water gushed out;

it flowed through the desert like a river.

⁴²For he remembered his holy promise,

and Abraham, his servant.”

— Psalm 105:39-42 (ESV)

There are a lot of things that I have been angry with the LORD over. In fact, I feel as though He and I have been at odds for a good long while. The thing is, even with that thought, there is no doubt in my mind that He loves me and provides for me at all times. I may not be excited with that which He provides (I wanted steak and He provides chicken), yet I am content with His provision.

I served as a music minister with a pastor and in our weekly trip to the church where we served, he and I would have great conversation. In one instance he told me of a time when he was less than obedient to his mother’s requests and she asked him to get a switch. In his telling of the story she switched him 30 times, after he started counting. But also in his words and the part that makes the difference, “There was no doubt in my mind that my mother loved me”.

God loves me and provides for me. No matter how much I suffer, there is no doubt that He loves me and provides for me. I have to remember the bread He provides. All of the bread. The chicken, the old car, the house, the job, the family, the church, the community, and yes, the actual bread.

There will always be the ups and downs in my communication with God and frankly, I will get angry with Him as He will get angry with me. But the anger does not change the fact that He loves me and provides for me. I have to remember that He provides the bread for my existence and that I should be praising Him for it.

What bread is the LORD providing for you? Are you thankful for the bread or angry that you did not get what you wanted? What if you were to accept the gift of provision, the bread from the LORD and had no doubt in your mind of His love for you?

Careful What Asked For

God provides, and that is not up for debate. Yes, He even provides when we complain as He hears and wants to ensure that we are taken care of and that we know that it is He who provides so that we have the opportunity to bring glory to Him.

“¹⁸They tested God in their heart

by demanding the food they craved.

¹⁹They spoke against God, saying,

‘Can God spread a table in the wilderness?

²⁰He struck the rock so that water gushed out

and streams overflowed.

Can he also give bread

or provide meat for his people?’

²¹Therefore, when the LORD heard, he was full of wrath;

a fire was kindled against Jacob;

his anger rose against Israel,

²²because they did not believe in God

and did not trust his saving power.

²³Yet he commanded the skies above

and opened the doors of heaven,

²⁴and he rained down on them manna to eat

and gave them the grain of heaven.”

— Psalm 78:18-24 (ESV)

Even with the testing of and complaining to the LORD, He still gives to His people as He has promised to care for us. Yet, the LORD is also teaching us in every moment. Notice that the LORD was still angry with the people and while he did provide for them, he did so in a teaching way as we see in the later verses of the passage.

“³⁰But before they had satisfied their craving,

while the food was still in their mouths,

³¹the anger of God rose against them,

and he killed the strongest of them

and laid low the young men of Israel.”

— Psalm 78:30-31 (ESV)

God gave the people what they wanted and then gave them the lesson that what they want was not what they needed. There was the sense of entitlement and greed that had come over the people of Israel and God worked to ensure that there greed was dealt with according to His plan.

The LORD provides for our needs and that is what we should be asking for Him to fulfill. My needs are not generally in line with my wants. My wants will wander into the world of desires and those desires will be the products of my greed beyond what is required for survival. The bread given from the LORD is that which is to sustain me in this world. Sustenance is vastly different than my desires.

God is the provider for our needs and as He is a compassionate God, He will also bless me with my wants from time to time. Those are just that, blessings that are at the will of the LORD and not at the continued want of me. I have to be sure that I am asking for that which is needed to survive and know that through my obedience, God will provide and bless me where He sees fit and not where I do. Me asking continually for my wants as the Israelite people did, will only anger the LORD and then I am subject to His wrath.

What are you asking from the LORD? Are you working through to be given the items of your desire? What if you were to petition the LORD for your true needs and allowed Him the opportunity to bless you with more than you require as opposed to asking continually for those wants?

Bread Yes, But Not Only

“³And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” – Deuteronomy 8:3 (ESV)

I have known that “man does not live by bread alone” for a good portion of my life. It is important to have sustenance for the body to be able to make it through the physical demands that are presented. Yet, where the body needs the nourishment, the mind and soul are in need as well and that will come from another place other than the food we eat. Frankly, there is always food available. Yes, it may not be from a five star restaurant, and may be found on the streets, but the food can be found for the physical nourishment. Even the Israelite people in the wilderness were hungry and the LORD provided bread from heaven. I have to remember to look to the LORD for all that I am in need of and not just the food for the nourishment of the body.

“⁴Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years.” – Deuteronomy 8:4 (ESV)

The Israelite people in the forty years out in the wilderness were fully provided for by the LORD and not just the food needed. See above how they did not experience need for clothing or healthcare. God ensured that they were able to make it with what they had and He provided for all that time. I don’t see my shoes or clothing making it forty years wearing them day in and day out.

I will not make it on just the bread provided for my physical body, and there is no use worrying about it as it will be taken care of by God.

“³¹Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. ³⁴Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” – Matthew 6:31-34 (ESV)

Jesus stated the above in His “Sermon on the Mount”. He made sure that the people knew that whatever they need shall be provided for by God and our job is simply to do the work of God knowing he will provide. John the Baptist, lived in the wilderness and was provided for by God, maybe not the way we would have liked to be provided for, but John was content.

“⁴Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.” – Matthew 3:4 (ESV)

We worry too much about what and were we will eat. It is important to remember that God will provide for the physical nourishment. But we should also know that God will provide for all of our needs, and it is our job to follow Him to realize those provisions wherever they may come from.

What stock are you placing in the provision of God? Are you focused on what you will have for the physical nourishment only? What if you realized that God will provide for all of your needs and that you cannot live by bread alone?

Give Bread to the LORD

There is some literal as well as figurative meaning in the giving of bread to the LORD. This morning I am still in the book of Exodus as I study the word “bread”. In this morning’s passage I am looking at the Israelite “Contributions for the Tabernacle” as it is titled in my bible. Moses brought God’s command to provide for the building of the tabernacle. Everything was to be given from the metal (gold, silver, bronze…), fabric, jewels, craftsman skill, to the bread on the table.

Moses outlined all that was to be brought freely for the building of the tabernacle to the LORD. This is the givings of the figurative bread to the LORD. The people were to share of their blessings back to the LORD who provided those blessings to them. They were blessed with gold, and silver and bronze, jewels, and skills and Moses commanded them from the LORD to give back to the LORD. Aren’t we to do the same with our offerings to the LORD. I have been blessed from the LORD to have what I have and it is only right that I give a portion of that back to Him as an offering to the LORD for Him to do with and provide for others.

And now to speak of the literal bread given back. The people were to provide the bread for the table in the tabernacle. They were to ensure that the table of the LORD was properly provisioned with the bread. Fresh bread daily for the LORD as provided by the people of the LORD.

“¹³the table with its poles and all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence;” — Exodus 35:13 (ESV)

Now for me in today’s world, there may not be a need to provide the bread for the LORD, but the need for bread is still there. I can and should not just be providing the monetary blessings that God has given, but I should also be providing the blessings of nourishment. It is “easy” to give money to a cause or project. There is little work in writing a check. But providing with food creates more ownership in the work being done for the LORD. It is one thing to provide a gift card for the homeless, but to make them a meal and serve it to them is more involved in the provision. Even buying and bringing is more meaningful.

I can remember many times I have seen someone begging for money on the side of the road. One time in particular, I had just come from a fast food joint where for some reason I bought an extra item that I really did not need (but was going to eat anyway). I came across the person begging for money and I gave them my extra item instead. The look of shear amazement on their face for providing for their immediate need and giving something of myself was fantastic. I was blessed more so and it is so much more memorable that if I would have simply given them $2-3.00.

I have been called to make contributions of bread to the LORD. Some of those contributions are monetary in nature and some are more personal for the giver and the receiver. I can and should be giving of all the blessings from the LORD. Whether those blessings are of metal, jewels, skills, or even of the sustenance value attributed to the actual bread.

What have you been giving to the LORD? Are you simply writing the checks? What if you were to give of the physical and more literally fulfilling to others?

The LORD Hears and Provides

I believe it is pretty well known and accepted that the LORD provides for our needs. He knows what it is and then provides to satisfy those needs according to His plan. He will not allow us to go without provision. And yet, He will listen to us even in our time of complaint.

“⁹Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, “Come near before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.”’” – Exodus 16:9 (ESV)

This is certainly demonstrating that the LORD is truly listening to our everything. He hears all that we are presenting. Whether positive or negative, know the LORD is hearing. I have to remember that all of my communication with the LORD is just what He wants from me. He want to hear from me and He wants to have the relationship with me. I have to bring all to Him and He will hear and how it fits into His plan will provide.

In the above scenario, the LORD was providing for the people of Israel, yet they were still not satisfied and He could hear their “grumbling” and complaints. And so what does the LORD do, he provides in the way that only He could do so.

“⁴Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.’” – Exodus 16:4 (ESV)

The LORD was literally providing daily bread for the people of Israel. Each morning there would be, on the ground the bread they would need for the day and then, as in the passage, it would expire and new would be provided the following day. The LORD had heard the people’s cries and provided for the need they had, daily.

Too often, there is a sense of despair in the minds of man. We tend to be dependent on ourselves for our needs when we should be lifting our needs to the LORD knowing that He will provide for them in His way. I have to remember not to tell the LORD how to, only ask Him to do so, knowing that He will provide in the way that is in line with His plan for me.

It is fully okay to speak with the LORD and let Him know of our petition. He will provide in His way for the needs we have. I have to remember not to put up guardrails for God to work within. I have to allow Him to work in His way and not mine. I have to know that the LORD will provide for my needs even when I seem to complain about the perceived lack coming from Him.

What complaints do you have for the LORD? Are you letting Him know and having that conversation with Him about those complaints? What if you did so and allowed Him to provide for your needs in the way that He does even to satisfy your complaints and “grumbling”?

That Which is Given

This morning I am reading in Genesis on the blessings given to Abram by Melchizedek, and I have begun a study on the word “bread”. As I read, I see, in the passage that Abram was given the bread and wine by Melchizedek and he was given blessing by Melchizedek and he would only take that which was given by the king of Sodom.

“¹⁸And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) ¹⁹And he blessed him and said, ‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;…²³that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, “I have made Abram rich.” ²⁴I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.’” – Genesis 14:18-19, 23-24 (ESV)

Abram did not “take” anything that was not given to him. Here we see that the bread and wine, blessings, and the food and men were given to Abram. Abram lived with the blessings that were bestowed on him from the LORD. All else was left to those to which the belonged.

This passage got me to thinking: God gives to me and that is where I gain all that I have. Mind you, I am not rich in the sense of monetary value. I am what is considered middle class and make do with that which I have, so to say that I am rich, is that I am rich in the glory that God has bestowed on me. I have been given all that I have by the LORD as He has made me rich.

There are a lot of things that I could be done to make me rich. I fight with what I could have at all times. So much would it be nice to just go and do at all times without concern for cost or financial ramifications. But as I sit here this morning, I have to remember that it is not about being rich, but being content and knowing that all that I have or will have are the result of the blessings from God. He provide the bread and wine and all of those things that I “need” to do His will here in this world. God GIVES me all that I need and for that I am to be grateful.

What do you have and where did it come from? Did you get all of it on your own? What if you recognized and accepted that God gave you what you need and frankly gives you everything?

God Promises Fruitfulness, Now Act Accordingly

I have come to the last entry in my concordance with regard to fruitfulness, which means I will be moving to another word to study in God’s Word. Today I have the honor of learning to act accordingly. God made the promises that He would make me fruitful thanks to my reverence, obedience, and fear of Him. Now it is up to me to follow through and live out my end of the promise and He will certainly live out His end.

“¹¹And I will multiply on you man and beast, and they shall multiply and be fruitful. And I will cause you to be inhabited as in your former times, and will do more good to you than ever before. Then you will know that I am the LORD.” – Ezekiel 36:11 (ESV)

The above is from Ezekiel’s prophesy to the Mountain of Israel. Ezekiel foretold the fruitfulness that will befall us. I am grateful for having God’s Word to read and review and learn from. I know what is to be going on with me and my life and relationship with God. I will fear, be reverent, and be obedient to Him and in turn, He will make me fruitful and multiply.

The thing I have to remember is that God’s promise of fruitfulness is contingent on my acting accordingly. I will not receive the blessings and then have the opportunity to worship Him. I worship Him and then He provides. I have to do the work, knowing that God will do His part according to His promise. This all starts with my giving of my life to the LORD by accepting His gift of salvation. And once I have accepted salvation, I am driven to continue in awe of the LORD.

The LORD has promised to provide for me. He will make me fruitful and will bless me as I wander this world. It is up to me to act according to those ways in demonstration of my love and reliance on Him.

What are you doing to act accordingly? Are you expecting God to do His part and then you do yours? What if you were to do your part and be in fear, be reverent, and be obedient of/to the LORD and KNOW the He will fulfill His promise of fruitfulness?

Fear the LORD and be Fruitful

This morning I was led to a simple but impacting passage in Psalm. I was reminded that I am blessed with fear of the LORD.

“Fear: profound reverence and awe especially toward God” – Merriam-Webster Online

Fear in the case that I am speaking is as defined just above. It is the awe inspiring reverence toward God. In my fear of the LORD, I am fully devoted to Him and all that He is. In return for my reverence and devotion, the LORD blesses me and my house.

“¹Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,

who walks in his ways!

²You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;

you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

³Your wife will be like a fruitful vine

within your house;

your children will be like olive shoots

around your table.

⁴Behold, thus shall the man be blessed

who fears the LORD.”

— Psalm 128:1-4 (ESV)

I have to look carefully at the words and meaning of them as I study. I want to ensure that I am on the right thought pattern. It is not said that everyone who fears the LORD will be rich or well off or without challenges. It says that they will be blessed. Being fruitful does not necessarily mean massive procreation or other worldly visuals of “success”. Being blessed and fruitful is being content in knowing that the LORD has provided and will continue to do so even when things seem grim.

Fear of the LORD brings blessing and fruitfulness. I have to remember to fear the LORD and that in doing so, I will be blessed and made fruitful.

What are you doing to gain blessings? Are you out there trying to earn it through your works? What if you just turned to God and demonstrated fear for Him and allowed him to provide and in turn you content with God’s provision and that provision turns to blessing and fruitfulness?