It Takes More Than Bread To Live

I was outside cutting the lawn, and the idea for this post came into my thoughts. That is a good enough reason for me to write it. 

The verse that came to mind is from Matt. 4:4 " ...Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Notice that the verse uses the present tense of the word proceedeth (King James English :-) and not the past tense. That is very important when you consider that when most people talk about the Word of God, they think of the 66 books of the Bible. Some even consider that only certain versions are the true inspired Words of God. Some are King James only believers. The joke is that if the King James version was good enough for Jesus, then it is good enough for me! (see, KJV was written in 1611). 

 Real Bible scholars, and those who are interested in deeper word studies do well to look up the meanings in a Hebrew and Greek concordance. It is very helpful to avoid mistakes in doctrine based on a mis-translation of words into common language. It happens much more than you might think! Having said all of that, if you stop there for your source of hearing God speak you are severely limiting yourself. 

The WORD of God is not written in Hebrew or Greek or Latin or English or French for that matter, the WORD of God is written in SPIRIT! Oh sure, you may read the words on the page of the Bible with your natural eyes, but it is not until you read with your spiritual eyes what the Spirit is saying, that you really read the word of God. You can hear a verse being read with your natural ears, but until you hear with your spiritual ears, will you really hear what is the word of God. 

People often quote the verse: "So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17 and they think it means if they get the bible on tape and listen to it, then they will have more faith. But is that what the verse means? I believe it is not. Faith comes by hearing in your spirit that proceeding word of God. The proceeding Word of God is what God is saying NOW. What is He saying to you? Prayer is not just you talking to God, is it also Him talking back to you. Sometimes it can be very distinctive and clear, and other times it can be mysterious and enigmatic. I think it is also something that can be developed as well, based on the fact that I have come to recognize more and more when I am hearing a proceeding word from God. This blog is case and point. This post is another.

 Of course there are times when there is an inner sense, or nudging to go a certain way, or do a certain thing, or say a certain thing to somebody. I have read lots of stories of people who felt compelled to say something to a perfect stranger, only to find out that what they said maybe saved that stranger's life. I have also had experiences where I would begin to speak with an authority that was not my own about something where it turned out to be a word from God for them. There are verses that tell us that Jesus only said those things He heard the Father say, and that He only did those things that He saw the Father do. Jesus only spoke when He heard the Father speak first. He saw the Father do a miracle first, and then He did did it. Can you imagine when we will come to the point where we do the same thing? Can you imagine how that would change our lives? How that would change what we say and do?

 Years ago, I heard my friend Gary Sigler talk about how it does not take any effort for God to heal someone or perform a miracle. It is not like you would ever hear God say "Wow, that miracle was hard to do! Whew." It is not like He has to start with something easy like heal a broken bone before He could make a cripple walk! He just has to speak the word. And all that is necessary is for someone to hear Him speak that word, and then to repeat what they hear the Lord say, no more and no less, and it is done! There is no need for screaming and shouting, and casting out demons, and ranting and raving. Usually just a lot of flesh acting up. Just speak the words you hear proceeding from the Father. "Rise, and take up your bed and walk."

 Now it should be noted that the verse " ...Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." is the first of three responses that Jesus spoke in answer to the devil who was sent to tempt Him in the wilderness. "If you be the Son of God...." is how the temptation begins. However the proceeding word of the Father came just days earlier when Jesus was in the river Jordan being baptized by John, "And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matt.3:17 The question remains then, what proceeding word from the Father sustains you better than bread?