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. Matthew 4:4

         One of the greatest defenses Jesus has is His knowledge of Scripture. He uses it all throughout the temptation in the desert. The adjective here is important. It says every word, not some of the words or the words spoken on special occasions but every word: all, without exception.

        I’m sure God knows how important His words are. Therefore He has chosen them wisely. (With God, is there any other way?) His words are a source of substance to a starving soul. It is of vital importance, therefore that they contain nutrients to nourish and build up. If God’s words were literally food, they would not be on the menu at a greasy spoon. You’d find them in the fresh produce section and health food stores.

      Can you imagine the food labels if God’s words literally were food? They wouldn’t need small print. There’d be no artificial anything or preservatives because they are fresh, new, living things. No date stamp because they do not expire. They’d be labeled 100% pure, a good source of edification. 

      But did Jesus really mean every word was beneficial to the survival of man? I think He did. Just as our bodies need a balanced diet so do our souls. He loves us unconditionally and speaks grace and mercy to us. I call that the sweet words. But we need calcium and protein too. Those are the words of instruction. When He must punish, oh how sour those words must taste. And how bland all those prophecies would be without the fulfillment: seasoning.

         He’s waiting to feed you too. I suggest you chew on every word.