Living Under the Son Light

• Jul. 25, 2007 - Not by bread alone

    When I was a young girl, my Granny gave me my first Bible. It came in a box with a gold top, and I was in awe. It had a white leather cover, and a zipper with a cross at the end. The first time I opened it, I held it gingerly, because I was afraid of damaging it. As I carefully turned the pages, I noticed that some of the writing was in red. The first red words that I read were "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4 KJV.

    These were the first words of Scripture I ever memorized, and I know I'll never forget them. I've come back to these words lately because I need the reminder that even though we struggle at times to put the bread on the table, that should never be my top priority. God says in His word that He will provide for my families basic needs. But we can't live as He desires us to without spending time each day reading and studying His words. And it's all there for a reason.

    I've been reading through the Bible in a year, and recently the Old Testament readings have been in 1st and 2nd Chronicles. At first it seemed redundant to me. Afterall, I'd already read 1st and 2nd Kings. But He must have put Chronicles there for a reason. At the very least, it's a good reminder of how easily people can go astray when they stop making the Lord the center of their lives. And one small step off the Path can end in total exhile, being enslaved to your enemies. You're sitting there scratching your head wondering, "how did I ever get HERE?" It started with that one day when you said "I don't have time to read my Bible today, I'm too frazzled to pray." I struggle staying on the Path, but I've been to Babylon, and I don't want to ever go back.