Bread for the Soul
08/04/2025
“Jesus answered, ’It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
- Matthew 4:4 (NIV)
In the wilderness, Jesus faced the tempter with empty stomach and full resolve. After forty days of fasting, He was hungry, undeniably, physically hungry. The enemy saw an opportunity and whispered, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” It’s a reasonable temptation: use your power, meet your need. But Jesus, instead of reacting with desperation, responded with Scripture.
This moment is more than a battle of wits. It is a declaration of truth. Jesus points to Deuteronomy 8:3, reminding the enemy, and us, that our deepest hunger is not for bread, but for God’s Word. We need physical sustenance, yes. But we were never meant to run on calories alone. Our souls were created to feast on the words that flow from the very mouth of God.
Consider this: When your phone battery is low, you plug it in. But what about when your soul is drained? What do you reach for? Many of us turn to temporary fixes, food, entertainment, approval, distraction. But these are like empty calories. They may fill space, but they don’t nourish.
There’s a story about a missionary in a remote part of the world. He had only one page of the Bible in his native language, but he read it daily for years. That single page became his lifeline. When a full Bible finally arrived, he wept, not because he had new information, but because he finally had the rest of the meal. That’s the power of God’s Word, it fills, sustains, and strengthens in ways nothing else can.
Jesus modeled that truth in the wilderness: in the absence of food, He feasted on the Father’s words.
Here are some things to help on your journey.
Start your day with a verse—not a scroll through social media. One Word from God is better than a hundred headlines.
Memorize this verse and repeat it when you’re tempted to rely on anything other than God to fill your need.
Set a time each day, even if just ten minutes, to read Scripture slowly, like a meal, not a snack.
My challenge for you is this:
Before you eat your next meal, pause and feed your soul first. Read a passage of Scripture and ask the Holy Spirit to nourish you with truth. Don’t just read to check a box, read to be filled.
Father, thank You for Your Word that gives life and sustains my soul. Help me not to live on bread alone, or the things of this world, but to hunger for Your truth. Teach me to run to Your voice when I feel empty, tempted, or tired. Let my life be rooted in Your Word, shaped by Your Spirit, and fueled by Your grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Pastor Jeff
#LoveGod #LovePeople #FindFreedom #FindYourDesign
“Jesus answered, ’It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
- Matthew 4:4 (NIV)
In the wilderness, Jesus faced the tempter with empty stomach and full resolve. After forty days of fasting, He was hungry, undeniably, physically hungry. The enemy saw an opportunity and whispered, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” It’s a reasonable temptation: use your power, meet your need. But Jesus, instead of reacting with desperation, responded with Scripture.
This moment is more than a battle of wits. It is a declaration of truth. Jesus points to Deuteronomy 8:3, reminding the enemy, and us, that our deepest hunger is not for bread, but for God’s Word. We need physical sustenance, yes. But we were never meant to run on calories alone. Our souls were created to feast on the words that flow from the very mouth of God.
Consider this: When your phone battery is low, you plug it in. But what about when your soul is drained? What do you reach for? Many of us turn to temporary fixes, food, entertainment, approval, distraction. But these are like empty calories. They may fill space, but they don’t nourish.
There’s a story about a missionary in a remote part of the world. He had only one page of the Bible in his native language, but he read it daily for years. That single page became his lifeline. When a full Bible finally arrived, he wept, not because he had new information, but because he finally had the rest of the meal. That’s the power of God’s Word, it fills, sustains, and strengthens in ways nothing else can.
Jesus modeled that truth in the wilderness: in the absence of food, He feasted on the Father’s words.
Here are some things to help on your journey.
Start your day with a verse—not a scroll through social media. One Word from God is better than a hundred headlines.
Memorize this verse and repeat it when you’re tempted to rely on anything other than God to fill your need.
Set a time each day, even if just ten minutes, to read Scripture slowly, like a meal, not a snack.
My challenge for you is this:
Before you eat your next meal, pause and feed your soul first. Read a passage of Scripture and ask the Holy Spirit to nourish you with truth. Don’t just read to check a box, read to be filled.
Father, thank You for Your Word that gives life and sustains my soul. Help me not to live on bread alone, or the things of this world, but to hunger for Your truth. Teach me to run to Your voice when I feel empty, tempted, or tired. Let my life be rooted in Your Word, shaped by Your Spirit, and fueled by Your grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Pastor Jeff
#LoveGod #LovePeople #FindFreedom #FindYourDesign
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