“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matt 4:4, NKJ)
In John 6:63-68 a conversation occurs between Jesus and His disciples that is constantly balancing on a knife point: “‘It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe’… And He said, ‘Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.’ From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you also want to go away?’ But Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’”
Notice that how He calls us back into relationship is primarily based in language. We are made alive by the words that He speaks in us! Just like at creation, when everything was formless and dark, He merely spoke: Let there be light! And there was light! (Gen 1:3). You know by now that this light was not the light of the sun and the moon and the stars – those heavenly bodies were only created a few days afterwards. This Light was the Light that was in Him: “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (John 1:4-5). For this reason a parallel is drawn with us in 2 Cor 4:6: “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
You see, He has shone into our hearts with Light and Life and, in so doing, given us the Spirit that calls to Him (Gal 4:6)!
In Deut 30:8 God says: “And you will again obey the voice of the Lord …” All the good things that will happen as a result are spelt out in verse 9 and repeated in verse10 again: “if you obey the voice of the Lord your God”. And then, in verses 11-14 He states clearly: “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.”
Indeed: “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil … therefore choose life” (verse 15 & 19). This life is in the mouth, in the words of God and you will eat the fruit of your words (Prov 18:21).
- Sela: Ponder the words of the last paragraph in conjunction with James 3:4-10.
- Read: Judg 20; Ps 110; Acts 20
- Memorise: Ps 110:2-3
- Going deeper: Read chapter 27 in Andrew Murray’s book: Abide in Christ.
