Day 9 | Holistic Provision – Jake

We have a newborn baby. At the time of writing this, he is 11 months old. He requires us for everything. To feed him, change him, make sure he doesn’t get hurt. All of the stuff.

He only gets mad when it is time for food. To be honest I am the same way. I get hangry when I need some food too. When we are hungry, we often show how fragile we are. Despite that, this passage sheds some light on the things that we need even more than food.

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” But we NEED bread, right? We need our physical bodies to be fed. This was Jesus’ response to Satan after he had fasted in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights. I feel the need for food if I skip lunch. Jesus is showing us that while physical food is necessary for the body, spiritual nourishment and trusting in the Lord will provide strength to overcome trials, rather than always trying to do it yourself. “I shall not want” is hard in our American standards of advertisements in our face. But relying on God, truly relying on and trusting Him, will allow us to fulfill all that we need in this life.

REFLECT

1. What are the "symptoms" in your life that suggest you are spiritually hungry?

2. In a typical week, how does the time you spend feeding your physical body compare to the time you spend feeding your soul through Scripture?

3. What is one area of your life where you find it hardest to trust that God’s provision is enough, and how would "truly relying on Him" change your perspective on that need?

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, help me to rely more on you. I live this life with a full belly and believe that I control its outcomes. I want to be fed by every word that comes from you. Lead me through my next day and show me what you want from me.

TAKE ACTION TODAY

Try fasting one meal tomorrow. This will teach you to rely on God for your energy instead of food.