March 25: Not by Bread Alone
You’re in a dry stretch. Hungry for relief. And the old offer keeps whispering.
“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
Before Jesus began His public ministry, the Spirit led Him into the wilderness. He fasted forty days and forty nights. Matthew says, plainly, that afterward He was hungry. Then the tempter came.
The first temptation was simple. You’re hungry. You have the power. Turn these stones into bread.
Jesus answered with Scripture: man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Lent, which many Christians observe in this season, remembers those forty days. It’s a time for self-examination and turning back to God. For someone in recovery, the wilderness story speaks directly.
Notice when the temptation came. When Jesus was hungry and alone. That’s exactly when temptation usually comes for us too. When we’re depleted, tired, lonely, empty. The offer always sounds reasonable. You need this. You deserve this. You have the means.
Notice also that the temptation wasn’t to do something obviously evil. Bread isn’t bad. The temptation was to meet His own need on His own terms, apart from the Father. That’s self-will in its simplest form. I’ll take care of this myself.
And notice how Jesus answered. Not with willpower alone. With dependence on God’s word. He’d made a decision about whose voice He would live by, and He held to it.
That’s Step Three in the wilderness. You’ve decided to turn your will over to God. When temptation comes, that decision is what you stand on. Not your strength, but your choice to depend on Him.
It’s also a reminder to take care of your body. Jesus was legitimately hungry. In early recovery, hunger and tiredness make cravings stronger. Eat. Rest. Then you’ll have a clearer head to face what comes.
One thing today
Memorize Matthew 4:4. Say it out loud the next time a craving or temptation comes, then do one thing to meet your real need in a healthy way.
A prayer
Jesus, You know what it’s like to be hungry and tempted. When the offer comes, help me answer the way You did. I live by Your word, not by what I crave.
For practical help in the moment, see help with alcohol cravings. This month: Step Three.
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