Matthew 4:4


Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” ~ Matthew 4:4

I was speaking to a young man the other day about his religion. I cannot even describe what to call it, for I have never heard of it in my life. He describes himself as a pagan. He believes in Thor and asks him for strength when a heavy object needs to be lifted. He believes other such “gods” help him to look inside himself and find the strength he needs for life. I tried to take it all in but was at a loss. His faith seems to give him no peace though he believes it does. His life sounds like a train ran over him and then comes back and runs over him again. Again, I wonder why people so reject the love, forgiveness (he does not believe in sin or errors either), grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. I was talking also to a young woman, and point blank asked her why she did not look to Jesus as she was wanting the spiritual life, and actually said she envied me, but was going to look elsewhere for what she wanted. She told me she had “tried God” when she was young. I said that she had missed something, for she had missed relationship with Jesus. In the beginning of Genesis, when the world was created, Jesus is the Word which spoke and created. The Apostle John put it this way: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made…” (John 1:1-3a). Jesus in this verse is talking to Satan as He was being tempted, and His answer here is to stay in the Word of God. Physical existence apart from the Spirit of Christ is not Life; Christ knew He trusted in the Father for life, and He knew the Word of God written and spoken would bring life. The Bible is full of God’s promises for us, in them we can trust. Jesus, as the Word promised us an abundant life and an eternal reward. In those words, we can trust. Life without Christ is empty, both in the now and in the one to come.

Pastor Julia

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