“…by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God…”

And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Matt. 4:2-4

Jesus was tempted concerning food when He was hungry.

He answered Satan by declaring the Word concerning food.

He has left an example for us how to overcome in temptations: confess in faith God’s Word that answers the temptation.

Lord, may I overcome by declaring the Word the Spirit gives me.

“Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.” Prov. 8:34

Lord, I wait to hear your voice: speak to me.

Partaking of Christ — living bread from heaven — sustains our spiritual life.

“As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.” John 6:57

Lord, may I hunger for the bread from heaven, and eat of it. 

“As soon as we put aside the Word of God, we lay ourselves open to the solicitation of the many voices that speak within our hearts…. We must not content ourselves with the Spirit without the written Word or with the Word without the Spirit… The Word is the chosen vehicle of the Spirit.”

F.B. Meyer, quoted in His Victorious Indwelling, Nick Harrison

 

“Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16

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Lord, may the Holy Spirit remind me to confess your Word in temptations.

Father, let me love your Word, eat it as my food for the inner man, and live by it.

You give me daily bread, O Father (Matt. 6:11).

May my heart be awake to hear your voice as you speak morning by morning (Isa. 50:4).

Lord, let me eat your Word, and live. Let me wait for the Word that proceeds from your mouth.

Lord, speak to your servant through your Word.

May my heart thirst for Your Word – the living Word, even Christ. Amen.

Entering the Narrow Gate

 Let us look for the footprints of Christ that keep our feet in the narrow way.

“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously”

1 Pet. 2:21-23

 Let us seek to have the mind of Christ.

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who… made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”  Phil. 2: 5-8

We walk the narrow way when we walk with Jesus in full obedience. He walked the way of full obedience to the Father, all the way to the death on the cross. Lord, I earnestly ask for grace to walk in obedience.

 Open the eyes of my heart, Lord: Let me see the narrow gate. Let me see the narrow way you walked and the footprints you have left for me. You walked bearing your cross, praying, “not my will, but thine be done”. Let me now walk bearing my cross, praying the same.

I humble myself, Lord, to enter by the narrow gate. I humble myself, Lord, to walk the narrow way. I humble myself, Lord, to walk with the few, or even alone.

Let me look for the footprints you have left for me, Lord Jesus:

Your steps of not sinning,

Your steps of having no deceit in your words,

Your steps of not reviling back when reviled,

Your steps of committing yourself to God, the Righteous Judge. Amen.