Deuteronomy 8:1-5 (NIV)

1 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. 2 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.

Reflection:

The Lord had to humble the Israelites so that they would recognize how much they truly needed God and how much their life depended on Him. Often times we don’t recognize what it is that we truly need to have life. Sometimes, we think that we can depend upon and rely on ourselves or on human achievement for real life. While bread sustains, it does not guarantee life — which is God’s gift to those who trust in and live by his word, commands, and promises. God loves us so much that He helps us and at times, disciplines us through experiencing a time of need, so that we are able to see who it is that we truly need.

Responding to the Transmission:

May we recognize that we don’t just live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. May we humble ourselves today before the Lord, meditating on His Word and delighting in every command and promise. Let’s continue to pray and lift up our concerns to the One who gives us life, recognizing that every good thing that we have comes from Him.