TODAY’S VERSE:
“And He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Deuteronomy 8:3 ESV)
TODAY’S THOUGHT:
At the onset of His public ministry, while Jesus is fasting in the wilderness, the evil one comes to Him and tries to tempt Him to satisfy His hunger by turning stones into loaves of bread. In response, Jesus picks up the sword of the Spirit and uses it to slay Satan’s temptation. By quoting these very words from Deuteronomy, Jesus reminds us that the hunger we experience as we fast is not something we should seek to avoid or escape; rather, it is meant to lead us to feast on the Word of God.
During this period of time when you are striving to fast, rest assured that the temptation will come your way to either forsake your fast altogether or to indulge your appetite in some other way. Now, you probably won’t try to turn stones into bread, but you will likely be tempted to eat from other tables that the world sets before you. You might find yourself being enticed to take the edge off your appetite through entertainment or through mindless social media; or perhaps you will be tempted to dull your hunger by shopping, surfing the internet, or by simply grabbing some more sleep. The options are endless, but the bottom line is that you will be tempted to turn anywhere but God’s Word. So resolve now, at the beginning of your fast, that when your stomach starts growling you will not turn to what the world sets before you, but that instead, you will run to the life giving Word of God. Let your hunger lead you to partake of true soul food!
TODAY’S ENCOURAGEMENT:
What “table” do you think you will be most tempted to turn to during your fast? Stop and pray that God would help you instead to pick up His Word and feed your soul.
© The Factory Church – “21 Days of Prayer and F(e)asting”