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Not by Bread Alone

By Loren Larson

Deuteronomy 8:3 – “And He humbled you, and suffered you to hunger, and fed you with Manna, which you knew not, neither did your fathers know; that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the Mouth of the LORD does man live.”

All Is Vanity

Man’s existence is not made complete by the satisfying of his physical needs. Although most of the human race exists to reach goals that are purely physical, even having met these goals or desires, the human being remains unfulfilled. There is always a need for more. The wisest man who ever lived, Solomon, found out that no matter that he fulfilled every desire, every appetite, every longing, that once the goal was achieved, he was still empty. He declared that the pursuit of and the gaining of every desire was “meaningless,” “empty,” and “vanity.” God is a good God and desires to bless His People in every way. However, the needs of man go far beyond the physical appetites. Man is only made whole when He exists in proper relationship with the God who created him.

The Purpose Of Deuteronomy

As the children of Israel neared the end of their 40 years of wilderness journeyings, Moses attempted to equip them for entrance into the Promised Land. The Book of Deuteronomy is the compilation of history, law, and instruction that God’s chosen People needed in order to successfully gain entrance to that same land. Moses knew that he would not accompany them into the Promised Land, so, as a Pastor about to depart from his flock, he wrote and spoke these messages to God’s People.

Understand The Wilderness Experience

He began by encouraging them to understand the time of the wilderness. The time of the wilderness is never a happy time. It is a time in our lives where God sets out to purposely test us. To be honest with you, it has been stated, and I believe it, that everything in the Believer’s life is a test. How will we act to any given situation? How will we react? Moses exhorts the people to remember that God brought them to a place of dependence, not a place of arrogance, not a place of independence, but a place of reliance and dependence upon God. In the wilderness, God brought the Children of Israel everything they needed. It wasn’t necessarily everything they wanted. The test was, will you be content with my provision? Will you be happy with the way I bring water to you in the desert or food to eat to your table? Will you learn to be dependent upon me for all things? Will you rest in me? Will you trust me? Or will you murmur and complain about the way things are; about the things that I have provided?

The Believer And The Wilderness

As a Believer in Christ, God takes us through wilderness experiences. The time spent in the wilderness is never a happy time. But the time spent in the wilderness is a necessary time. It is here where God will humble us, and test us, and reveal to us the content of our heart. What we really are, what we really have or don’t have, is all revealed in the wilderness experience. Our highest priority is, are we dependent upon God, His Person, His Word, His Plan, or will we rebel and complain about the way we are being treated? God’s Plan is to adjust the heart and prepare it for the Promised Land. Will we accept these changes? Will we admit how needful they are? Will we allow the humbling, testing, and heart revealing process to produce a Saint of God that knows how to depend on God? That is God’s Goal.

The Example of Christ

In His wilderness experience, Jesus looked to these verses for instruction and comfort. He saw the purposes of God and waited patiently for the Word of God to instruct, direct, and encourage Him. When the Devil attacked Him directly, Jesus was at the tail end of a 40 day wilderness test. This was an onslaught of attack, the like that neither you nor I could have withstood. But Christ, as a man, had to learn the benefits of obedience by suffering as a man. Satan snarled his last ditch effort, “If you are the Son of God, make these stones bread.” Jesus had a legitimate need. Satan wanted Him to operate outside the Will and the Word of His Father. Jesus passed the test with flying colors as He responded, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the Mouth of God.” In other words, Jesus was waiting to hear what God wanted. He would then pursue the Will of His Father with all of His Heart. Are you waiting to hear what God has to say about your situation? or are you depending upon yourself to meet that need? If you are patient, God has a Word to direct your way. Wait upon Him. Be dependent upon Him! Look for Him. He can do anything but fail and His Word will come! Only then will you and I experience true fulfillment.

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