LORD’S DAY MORNING, JANUARY 21
Luke 4:1-4
1 Peter 2:2

“…desire the sincere milk of the word,
that ye may grow thereby.”

THE LUST OF THE FLESH

The Lord Jesus was without food for forty days. The devil tempted Him to turn the stone into bread. It was a pragmatic imperative with a devilish motive. Of course we know Jesus could do it, for He is even able to raise up children unto Abraham out of stones (Luke 3:8). But known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world (Acts 15:18). Nobody can dictate or command Him to do what is not according to the perfect will of God. God cannot and will not do anything contrary to His nature. God knows everything and He is in control. The wicked and devilish counsels of the enemy have no place in the presence of the thrice holy God. Satan made a direct attack on Christ’s sovereignty, in hope of destroying His authority and to drive Christ to perform an unlawful and evil deed.

Jesus simply answered Satan from the written Word that man shall not live by bread alone (Deut 8:3). Man is not made of flesh only but also of spirit. Our flesh needs the physical food but our spirit needs spiritual food. A fat and strong-bodied Christian may look well-nourished externally, but without the spiritual food he is still famished and undernourished. This spiritual food is the Word of God that man must partake of daily in order to grow spiritually. However, only those indwelt by the Spirit of God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ are made alive to require spiritual food.

The spiritual food that a man needs is the Word of God. It is the milk and meat for our spirit (1 Pet 2:2; John 4:34), it sustains our spiritual life, it revives our fainting spirit attacked by the forces of Satan, it enables spiritual growth and maturity, it arms believers against the daily fight of temptation and sin. The Word of God is more needful for man than the best food the world can offer. Physical food will only satisfy for a few hours but spiritual food will bring our souls into eternity. Which would you prefer?

THOUGHT: Do I give in easily to the lust of the flesh?
PRAYER: Almighty Father, Thou who quickeneth our spiritual lives, strengthen us by Thy spiritual provisions, for the physical and material can do nothing to help us grow in Thee.