Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” Matthew 4:4 (quoting Deuteronomy 8:3). Jesus resisted Satan’s temptation with God’s Word. Said another way, Jesus replaced the lies of Satan with the truth of God.
Most importantly, Jesus reminds us that God is the source of life. His words sustain us. And, as Jesus later says, we can do nothing when we are apart from Jesus. John 15.
How can we live our lives by living “on every word that come from the mouth of God”? Is that limited to reading the bible? I think not. It is but one of many ways we hear words from the mouth of God. I’ve written many times on hearing God’s voice (click here for one such writing). And recently I saw another example of this in action in the bible.
In Luke 8:26-39, Jesus heals the man possessed by “Legion,” 1000s of demons, sending the demons into a herd of pigs. The man, so blessed by Jesus’ salvation, desires to follow Jesus immediately. Unlike Jesus’ call to Peter and Andrew, James and John, and others, Jesus tells him not to come with Him. Instead, Jesus tells this newly-saved man to go home (he is from an area of cities known as the Decapolis), to his family and friends, and tell them the amazing grace of God. The man does so and sees many people believe. In fact, in other places of the gospels we see that many from Decapolis follow Jesus.
It seems surprising that Jesus doesn’t allow this man to follow Him. That has been one of His main calls to this point. Leave your homes, jobs, parents, and follow me. Instead, Jesus’ words to this man are don’t come with me – go home. The man obeys the mission Jesus gives him, and in so doing, finds life and gives life away.
We all need to ask God where we are to go, what we are to do, and how we are to do it. His Word is life. His Word directs us. And we will be working with Him to live according to His word. In fact, we will be missionaries by following Jesus’ word and we will be a part of advancing His Kingdom as we submit to His authority and rule!