“I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.” — Job 23:12
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Baseball players don’t just show up five minutes before the first pitch as fans do. Several hours before game time, they start stretching, warm up with throwing, and get in some batting practice.
Probably more necessary than anything else, though, is nutrition and hydration. Players who don’t eat properly won’t have good stamina for an extra-inning game, or the patience to deal with rain delays. If a player isn’t hydrated, he may faint in the heat of summer or get muscle cramps, or lack the concentration to make the proper throw to third base to hold the runner. What players consume can make all the difference when it’s game time.
In the Bible, we learn that spiritual meals are more important than the food we put in our mouth. Job spoke about the Bible being treasured: “I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread” (Job 23:12).
When the Israelites traveled through a barren wilderness for 40 years, the Lord sent down food from above to not only prove His power but also to test the people to see whether or not they appreciated His miracles and would follow His commands. “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions'” (Exodus 16:4). The Lord had heard their complaints about hunger and filled their need.
For a little while, they appreciated God’s provision, but soon got picky and dissatisfied. We can be all too similar. “The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, ‘If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost — also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!'” (Numbers 11:4-6). As the people complained, they showed disrespect to God who provided the manna, and forgot their spiritual nourishment was more necessary than their favorite foods.
During Jesus’ earthly life, He was faced with the choice of whether to selfishly put His physical desires first or to emphasize spiritual matters. As Jesus overcame the devil’s temptation, He did so by quoting Scripture. He spoke Deuteronomy 8:3 where Moses discussed how spiritual manna is more valuable than food for the stomach. Jesus could have turned stones into bread, but He’d rather perish than fall for the devil’s temptations. “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).
Jesus is our perfect example for how to combat temptations, but we won’t be successful if we don’t know Scripture. We need to be nourished by His Word daily to face the spiritual battles coming our way.
— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia
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