Deuteronomy 8:3 Amplified Bible (AMP)
3 He humbled you and allowed you to be hungry and fed you with manna, a substance which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, so that He might make you understand by personal experience that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.
No one likes to think that perhaps he or she needs some humility in life. What? Who me? No never.
The truth is that we probably need it more than we realise. Especially those who profess to be Christians.
The definition of humility is: ‘the quality of having a modest or low view of one’s importance’ or used in a sentence, ‘he needs the humility to accept that their way may be better’.
For Christians, that means understanding and walking in God’s ways of doing things. And not necessarily stubbornly relying on our own ability to overcome difficult situations.
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The current lockdown has been humbling for many, in various ways. Not saying God sent it, but it’s here and we have to respond. The best way is to rely on what God says to you from His Word.
In the scripture Moses reminds the people, shortly before they cross the Jordan (without him, of course) to take the Promised Land, to remember why God had to do, or allow, certain things, that they felt were harsh.
God urgently wanted His people to know that survival in life, in dangerous and even life-threatening situations, was more about living off the Word that comes from His mouth. Trusting Him completely.
That seems almost contradictory as in, man needs to eat. He needs to ‘do stuff’. Make it happen. In a sense yes, that’s accurate, as faith requires action. But action without faith is fruitless.
Our spirit needs to be fed to, and bread (human toil) isn’t sufficient for that – it can only be sustained by God, by spending time in His presence and in His Word.
Fast forward to the New Testament – John 4 vs 30 to 32 – and Jesus had not eaten for a while. He’d spent time talking to the Samaritan woman at the well, having sent the disciples into town to get food. Upon their return, the disciples are shocked that he’s talking to a woman, and a Samaritan at that. They aren’t brave enough to ask him about it, but instead insist that he eat something.
His reply confuses them: ‘I have food that you know nothing about’.His disciples are puzzled: ‘what did he eat, did someone give him food?’. Jesus replies to them: ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to completely finish His work.’
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