Not On Bread Alone

Oh, dear. My life has sunk to a new level of pathetic-ness. Either that, or I am a well-loved girl. Maybe it's both.

So, an unnamed friend, who is bookoodles more popular than me, in an effort to be a sweet friend who encourages others to encourage me (and lifts my spirits when I feel friendless), put people up to leaving me blog comments. I saw through the whole scheme in about 1.8 seconds since my previous record for comments is probably four.

When I told Chris about the whole thing, he immediately replied, in his most encouraging tone, "That's pathetic. And embarrassing." Thank you, kind sir. Now I feel fabulous. He quickly followed with a much too late, "I'm just kidding." Yeah, sure you are. And I love to puke.

But, in my ever-positive way, I will choose to put aside the humiliation in favor of celebrating the fact that I can name at least five people who love me. I didn't feel like it a couple of days ago, but it's true. Actually, I could name 30 people who love me. (I thought of putting 40, but that could be a stretch.) Shoot, when five people live with you and you feed them daily(and they haven't become teenagers yet), you've got a good head start. Really, the list goes on and on, not because I'm so lovable. Far from it! (Can I get an amen? Chris, hush.) But because the Lord has blessed me and surrounded me with loving people who find it in their hearts to love the unlovable.

Isn't that the way the enemy works, though? He just whispers that one small lie, that is so easy to see through, but sometimes it sticks. ("Nobody cares. They've forgotten you.") It sits there in the back of your mind, waiting for that weak moment. Waiting for the moment when the emotions are a little rocky or the circumstances less than ideal. Waiting for that opportune moment to take root and then to sprout. We turn our attention toward it for a second, and it grows. Our thoughts begin to settle there, leaves begin to sprout, and the enemy begins to smile. A lie. It always starts with a lie.

Our weapon. Our weed-puller. Our one and only sword to fight with. The Truth. The Word of God. It is indispensible, infallible, and everlasting. It is the gift God has given us to combat the lies, the attacks of the enemy. We must know it backwards and forwards. Inside and out. We must drink it in and fill our hearts with it. We must train ourselves in the Truth for it is the only real way to recognize the lie.

There is nothing more important we could put into our hearts and minds, yet we fill our heads with images from television and books. We fill our hearts with selfish indulgence that feels good for just a moment. We reach for the quick. The entertaining. The easy to digest. We need the meat, the bread, the Living, Active Word! We let this treasure sit idly on our end tables while we fill our lives with garbage. We take it for granted and treat it lightly.

Almighty God has written us a love letter and we ignore it. We need it more than we need bread and water. Seek it. Consume it. Use it...to fight. Fight the enemy. Fight the lies. Stand on the truth that Almighty God loves you with an everlasting love, is Sovereign, is Holy, has released you from the power of sin and death, and is working every last detail of your life for your good and His glory.

1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 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