ESOCS Devotional 10 December 2022
TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 8:1-10
MEMORY VERSE: “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 8:3
0 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. 12 When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted lace ”
This scripture gives us very important information. No wonder our Lord Jesus quoted it in Matthew 4:4: “But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” The message becomes clearer if we consider this scripture from two perspectives. First, the Word of God as given by prophecy and written as Scripture on the pages of the Holy Bible. Second, the Word of God as that which became fleshas the Scripture puts it in John 1:14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us ….” Revelation 19:13 goes further: “He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.” John 1:1 explains that the Word that became flesh existed in the beginning before the creation of the world and all that is in it; and that “the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Both ways, the essential message is that our souls cannot survive without the Word of God, whether as the One that became flesh or the written Word of God.
For the Word that was made flesh, which is Jesus Christ the Lord, we need a close relationship and a continual fellowship with Him day by day. It should be a closely knit relationship that we must do our best never to break. He described our relationship with Him as that which exists between a tree and its branches; and that just as the branches get their nutrients and nourishment from the tree, so do we get all our needs from Him. Again, just as the branches would wither and dry up if they were cut off from the tree, even so we would become unprofitable and perish if we are disconnected from Him (John 15:4-7). In verse 5 He said clearly, “… for without me you can do nothing.” Therefore, if we remain attached to Him, we “shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever [we do] shall prosper” (Ps. 1:3).
In this relationship, we should let ourselves loose and get lost in our communion and union with Him; we must not allow any form of distraction in our fellowship with Him. We should remain one with Him, the Father, and the Holy Spirit (John 17:21). For the Word that is written, it is the essential ingredient for our spiritual good health. It nourishes our souls. It is vital to our spiritual wellbeing just as milk is essential for the healthy growth and overall wellbeing of a new born child. We are counseled that “as newborn babes, [we should] desire the pure milk of the word, that [we] may grow thereby” (1 Pet. 2:2). We need the written word of God because it helps us guide ourselves and moderate our lives to fit into mold that God wants for us (Rom. 15:4; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 1 Cor. 10:11). God is watching us every time to know what our attitude is to His Word, whether His written Word or that which became flesh. Essentially, our inheritance comes from the Word of God. He is our Olive Green Tree! Let us stretch forth our hands and hold Him, cling to Him, and never let go.
CHALLENGES
- What are your experiences each time you try to cling to our Lord Jesus Christ?
PRAYERS
- Pray that the word of God may dwell richly in you.
Read Yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
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ESOCS Devotional 10 December 2022
