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.’”

Matthew 4:3-4

Dear God, as I read this passage this morning and asked myself what thoughts come to mind when I read it, the first thought that came into my mind is that I’m so sorry you had to go through this. Living on earth and the struggles. Fasting for 40 days. Dealing with Satan in this way. Of course, brutal crucifixion. And it was partly for me. I’m really sorry you had to do that.

But as I now continue my journey, one of my jobs is to live by your bread. Not the communion bread (eat this in remembrance of me), but by the scripture prepared for me and the still small voice that speaks to me. Both must be run through a discernment filter. I can’t always trust my interpretation of scripture, and I cannot always trust the voices inside my head. But awareness and discussing my thoughts in community help to mitigate any selfish interpretations that will deceive me.

Father, thank you for everything you’ve done. Everything Jesus had has done. Everything the Holy Spirit has done. My life is small and my time on earth is short. Help me to make the most of the opportunities you put in front of me.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen