BREAD
Today's reading: Matthew 4-6

"Then the Devil came and said to him, If you are the Son of God, change these stones into loaves of bread." Matthew 4:3 NLT

Bread-a usually baked and leavened food made of a mixture whose basic constituent is flour or meal; food, sustenance; livelihood.

Jesus could have, before Satan's hiss of a dare ended, provided a banquet table of breads. A table stacked high with assorted breads. Every sort. Every style. Every flavor.

Pita. Ciabatta. Brioche. Challah. Baguettes. Croissants. Sourdough. French. Panetonne.

He could have. But He didn't.

He instead focused on the Word of God. It's truths. It's firm foundation. It's validity. It's depth. It's width. It's scope.

He knew the Word. He believed the Word. He drew from the Word what He needed at that moment to fight His enemy.

He asks the same of us.

As Christians, we needn't call down fire from heaven--we need to believe the Word of God.

As Christians, we needn't be able to quote chapter upon chapter--we need to live out what those chapters say in our every day lives.

As Christians, we needn't wear the t-shirts with verses plastered across them or drive cars sporting the bumper stickers touting John 3:16--we need to have enough of the Word in us that it comes out of our mouths, our eyes and our hands.

As Christians, we needn't produce bread--we need to prove by how we live and act that we have been nourished by the Bread!