Day 61 - Deuteronomy 8-10

ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 61 - Deuteronomy 8-10 (Why Spiritual Fasting Matters)
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"So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD."  (Deuteronomy 8:3-4)

In our Scripture reading for today, Moses reminds the Israelites that they need to be careful to observe every commandment of God as they enter the land which God is giving them to possess.   Moses points out that the very reason God allowed them to suffer in the wilderness was to test them whether they will keep His commandments or not.  This included the diet of manna for forty years so that they might know that "man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."

The Lord Jesus when He tempted by the devil to turn the stones into bread in the wilderness when He did not eat for forty days quoted the same exact passage written by Moses:  "It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."  (Matthew 4:4)  

It is clear from the Bible that God wants us to regard His Word more than we value physical food for our body.   Job understood this truth and lived it as evidenced by his own profession:  "I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food."  (Job 23:12)  

Yes, fasting is perhaps the ultimate proof that a person truly treasures God's Word more than food. Real spiritual fasting has as its purpose, to deny the body its basic need which is food, in order to say to God, "Lord, I treasure You and Your Word which I will read during this fast, as proof of my love and devotion."

Moses and Jesus fasted and so did many other godly men including Job and the apostles and many godly men and women still do so today.  These are those who actually live out and practice loving God and His Word more than food.  I realize, though, that to treasure God's Word more than food is easier said than done; for how many of even the most mature Christians could truthfully say that they have loved God's Word more than food so that they are willing to fast from food for many days in order to feed more on God's Word?

I am ashamed to say that I have not been practicing this spiritual discipline in my own life on a regular basis.  This short devotion has convicted me that I need to live out and practice what I preach about treasuring God's Word more than anything in this life.   "Lord, please forgive me for not treasuring your Word more than food.  Help me to begin a regular discipline of fasting in order to deny my body its basic need as proof of my love and devotion to You and Your Word.  Amen."