Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | August 2, 2009
Live by Every Word of God
Today’s devotion included Matthew 4:1-4. If you were wondering about why I have not made a post in a little longer than a week, the reason is because I was on vacation. It is good to take a vacation, but it is also good to get back and post again.
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'” Matthew 4:1-4.
This Scripture is so timely and so appropriate as I reflect on a few things.
First of all, I should explain why this post covers Scripture from Matthew (rather than Genesis) considering that I just finished Revelation. You may know from the progress of my posts that my daily devotions consist of reading through Scripture in its order. There is one exception. In my “cycle” of Scripture reading, after reading the whole Bible from Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament, to Revelation, the last book of the New Testament, I read through the New Testament one more time before proceeding again to Genesis to start the Old Testament and begin this cycle again. According, I just finished reading Revelation, the last book of the New Testament, and have now proceeded to Matthew, the first book of the New Testament. Next time, after I finish Revelation, I will proceed to Genesis.
This reading cycle is how I personally try to best recognize and implement the following two principles. First, man lives on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God such that every word of the Bible is important and live-giving. Second, we should search the Scriptures to come to Christ that we may have life. “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.” John 5:39-40. In other words, I do want to continue to read every word of the whole Bible, but I want to spend more time (or at least roughly the same amount of time) in the New Testament. The New Testament is approximately one-third the length of the Old Testament, and the New Testament speaks more clearly and directly about Christ, His work, and our life in Christ than does the Old Testament. I am not saying that the New Testament is more important than the Old Testament. I am also not saying that every one should follow my reading cycle. I certainly think there can be different good ways in which we read through Scripture. For example, as just one example of another good way of reading through Scripture, some Christians may read both a part of the Old Testament and a part of the New Testament in one daily devotion. I am just explaining how why I personally read through Scripture in this way.
Second, during my recent vacation, I only watched a total of about 15 minutes of television (mostly baseball at my brother-in-law’s home). I confess I normally watch a lot of television. It was very interesting to me how I did not miss watching television at all. How true is Jesus’ statement! ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’
Third, during this same vacation, I saw some gorgeous new homes on a top of a hill over-looking a lake and the mountains in the distance. I thought how wonderful and inspiring that it would be to live in one of these homes with such a beautiful panoramic view. I could surely write some great devotions if God provided me with such a home! 
But, we do not need to live in one of these homes to be inspired or to live abundantly. ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 