Friday, April 22, 2011

Deuteronomy 8:3 NASB

"And He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD."

We are a generation of those who struggle with "unanswered questions" about our circumstances, always wanting a reason for what we're going through.  Many hold God hostage to their demands for some kind of response, believing they have a right to know.  Not hearing anything, they feel entitled to embrace disappointment and doubt as to God's goodness and "godness".  Out of concern, well meaning souls will try to come up with some answers to this kind of questioning about God's character.  Trying to "protect" His name, their responses begin to sound much like disclaimers you hear on television with certain medicine advertisements, which speak of the great things a particular medicine can do, but then give a long list of possible side effects to cover malpractice suites.  This line, of trying to explain God, and trying to explain everything that happens to us in life, has only pulled God down to our level of thinking, making Him out to be Someone that means well but doesn't always come through like we thought so therefore must be protected from "malpractice" questions.  But God needs no protection, nor does He have to explain everything that happens to us!  Without sounding hard and uncaring, for God cares at a much deeper level than most comprehend or want to accept, God is not all that fired up concerned about our circumstances, which are temporal. Certainly He cares, but because He knows how pitifully puny anything else is in comparison, He cares above all about the character of the soul no matter the circumstances, or even because of the circumstances.  And the character of the soul is determined by the voice that dominates the soul.  Is it the voice of self interest?  Then our thinking will be all about self.  Is it the voice of the world.  Then our thinking will be all about this world.  Or is it the voice of God?  Then our thinking rises to a different level. We see now from a different perspective. Here more important things take precedence.  This is a huge shift of the soul.  When Satan tempted Jesus along the line of His physical, material and social well being, Jesus stood by this old truth out of Deuteronomy 8:3:  "man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD."  Profound!  He saw all that mattered and It held Him.  It will hold you too!

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