This post was last updated on September 2, 2026

Day 101 (Year 3)

Live by Every Word That Comes from God’s Mouth

“But He answered and said, ‘It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'” (Matthew 4:4 NKJV)

After forty days of fasting, Jesus was tempted by Satan to turn stones into bread to cure His hunger. Jesus then gave the response above. The Lord quoted Deuteronomy chapter 8 verse 3 to point out that the Israelites lived for many years in the wilderness, indeed by every word that came from God’s mouth with manna. While fasting in the wilderness and hungry, Jesus refused Satan’s suggestion and did not turn any stones into bread. Being the only Son of the heavenly Father, Jesus refused to misuse the power God gives Him without His permission.

Similarly, one of Satan’s schemes to control people is to cause them to misuse their abilities. Although most people do not have the power to perform miracles, most do have the power of money, relationships, speeches, and so on. Satan causes people to misuse all these to satisfy selfish desires. Facing the temptation to misuse, believers need to do the opposite—restraining our desires at every turn, striving hard to have no selfish cravings, praying to understand God’s will, and acting according to Scripture and fulfilling His will, so as not to fall into Satan’s trap. We must rely on Jesus’ guidance in prayers to manage and refine our desires before we can totally overcome Satan’s temptations.

In today’s scripture, Jesus identifies two types of people. The first are those who live by bread alone and abuse their power as Satan does, who live under its dominion. The second are we who live by both bread and God’s words, restraining ourselves as Jesus did. The scripture points to a truth: striving for the food the body needs is necessary, but even more vital is that we listen to, understand, and follow every word that comes from God’s mouth. His words are what our spirits need. And it is only through His words that we can overcome Satan’s temptations and attacks. First, all the significant words God has spoken in the past are recorded in Scripture. God also speaks today, and we must listen carefully to His living word. What God says today may differ in content from what He has said in the past, but the two will never contradict each other. Thus, the more familiar we are with the Bible, the more accurately we can discern what God is saying today. We should wait on God in stillness and prayer. The purer our hearts, the more clearly His voice can be heard. As we listen to God’s words, we will surely receive great blessings.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you feel you have a problem with misusing power or ability? If so, how will you rely on the Lord to solve it?

2) Are there any difficulties for you in developing the habit of waiting on and receiving God’s words in stillness and prayer? If so, how will you resolve them?