Breakfast of Champions

But 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

Jesus made a powerful statement in our opening scripture. Perhaps you should read it again.

According to Jesus, every word that God speaks remains as integral to our survival as the food we eat. We can’t live without His words.

Do you believe Him?

Perhaps I should point out that Jesus said every word. Not just the ones we like, or the ones that first brought us to salvation. All of them. Even the ones we haven’t bothered to read.

Here’s the truth straight from the mouth of Jesus, dear one. You and I can’t live on food and water alone and thrive. If we want to sustain real life, we also need to feed on the Word of God.

Which is precisely why the enemy convinces us we don’t need it.

I imagine you’re familiar with his tactics. Have you ever felt an oppressive feeling rise up in you when someone suggested you needed to spend more time in the Word—as if the idea of spending time with Jesus was burdensome? Perhaps when you have a busy day the first thing you naturally tend to cut out is your quiet time. You don’t really need it, after all, and you need to accomplish the rest of the things on your list.

Do you know where those thoughts and feelings come from, dear one? From a deceiver who desires to render the people of God powerless.

Take a moment to ponder Psalm 138:2.

I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

I found something interesting when researching this scripture. The ESV gives an alternate interpretation from the Hebrew that also appears in many other translations.

. . . you have exalted your word above all your name.

The Amplified Bible includes both translations.

I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness; for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word and You have magnified Your word above all Your name!

According to scripture, God has elevated His Word above all else that exists. He has proclaimed His truth as the standard over all things, and He declared in Jeremiah 1:12,

“I am watching over my word to perform it.”

At all times, you and I either cooperate with the word of God or work against it. Listen carefully, dear one. We cannot live contrary to the revealed Word of God and expect to experience the blessings that flow from the power of Jesus’ name.

Revelation 19:13 reveals why.

He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. (NIV)

We can’t call upon the name of Jesus to bless our finances while neglecting His command to give. We cannot expect God to release our oppression while ignoring His mandate to forgive.

Beloved, many in the body of Christ are floundering and powerless because we’ve tried to invoke the power in the name of Jesus without exalting His Word.

We lift high His name on Sunday morning. We attach His name to our prayers in an effort to release His power. And we pray big prayers hoping for grand results and awesome answers. But we do all this while disregarding the words God has already spoken.

Here’s why the enemy works so hard to convince us to neglect God’s Word, dear one. The Word of God carries and releases the power of God.

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11

The Word of God accomplishes His purposes. When you and I embrace and agree with what God has spoken by faith, His purpose becomes realized in us as well.

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

God’s Word coming alive in us gives the victory over our enemy. It unleashes every promise God has spoken. God watches over His Word, and when He sees a faithful follower trust what He has spoken and live by His principles, He performs the work of that word in our lives. Our believing faith ushers us into the power of His grace.

Let’s not allow our enemy to snatch the Word of God away from us any longer. Let’s partake, feed on His words, and live.

Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:16

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