We see in the Bible stories of people who are following God’s instruction but for different reason’s they lose their discipline, and begin doing things they know are wrong, and putting things above God in their lives. One small step at a time and they end up completely disobeying God’s direction; People like Solomon and the Jews in the wilderness after leaving Egypt. We see this in our lives today, as well, people we know who were faithful members of our churches, and even pastors, fall away and then begin making bad decisions that drag them further astray.

Maintaining our faith requires the discipline to read God’s word, think about it, pray, worship and strive to practice God’s direction. Like maintaining our bodies, we need to eat well in order to stay healthy.

I think this is the idea Jesus was trying to deliver in the story of his temptation, while he was fasting int the desert, recorded in Matthew and Luke. Matthew 4:3,4 says, “During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Just like food is for life, God’s words of instruction, education, and salvation are the food we need for our Christian life on earth and eternally, without it we are starving ourselves, making us weaker and easier prey for temptation.

Dear Lord, thank you for your word that provides us the spiritual food we need to make us strong and resilient. Help us have the discipline to study it regularly to keep ourselves firm in our faith. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.