“But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” Matthew 4:4 NKJV
Most of humanity works based on the belief that man can only live by the bread on the table. This is why we have statements like “source of income.”
We go to work so that we can put food on the table. It’s noble and good. But that mindset cheats us out of what God has for us. Since the dawn of creation, the devil has been cheating us out of what God has prepared for him.
He tried to do it with Jesus, convincing him to “take hold of his destiny” and do what every regular guy would do. After all, He had fasted forty days and nights, and his body signalled that it was time to eat.
But Jesus was more intelligent than that. He knew that he’d rather have the Kingdom than have the byproducts of the Kingdom. Even though Jesus has given us access to everything we have, the devil’s strategy has stayed the same. He continues to prey on the ignorant.
But as we grow in the knowledge of God’s word, we realise that it’s the only sustenance we need to become all God wants us to be.
How can we work and live by the Word of God?
The first fact to understand is that your job is not your source of income. Why? Because a job cannot produce income by itself. Your job is only a channel of income.
God is your source of income and delivers that income through any channel, including your job.
Secondly, Matthew 6:33 is right by saying, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
When we worry about what we will eat and drink and only work for that purpose, we don’t believe the scripture above. But this raises the question: How will seeking God’s kingdom help me be financially responsible for myself and my family? Will the money drop from heaven?
We only think this way because we believe God’s kingdom is just in heaven. We carry God’s kingdom within us.
Every time the Ambassador of a nation visits another, he or she is respected and honoured as if they were the nation itself.
We seek God’s kingdom through intentional living by His word. As we study, our eyes are enlightened, and we receive wisdom (Ephesians 6). This wisdom helps us live God’s way, work God’s way, and learn strategies to put food on our table God’s way.
By doing so, we receive wisdom on the job to take, the right business to start, the person to marry, the stranger to show love to, and every other decision we make.
Do you now see that the essence of God’s kingdom is so that His will is done in our lives on earth? He directs every thought, emotion, speech, and action according to how His kingdom operates.
So, to live by every word of God is to understand that He is the source and everything, including the bread you so desire, comes from Him. This is why Jesus knew better than to take matters into His hands and act based on limited human intellect and emotions.
“I live by God’s word.”
How have you placed the food you need above God’s will for you?
When we focus on our material needs, obeying God and following our calling becomes difficult. In man’s eyes, Jesus might have looked temporarily irresponsible to himself by choosing to go hungry when He had the power to get food. But food wasn’t on God’s agenda for him then, and because He was enlightened, He knew.
May we always be guided by God’s will for us.
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