The Risen ChristSample

The Mouth of God

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4)

It’s often been observed that the way Jesus defeated Satan’s temptations was by means of Scripture. Three times the devil tempted him to doubt God’s word and take what he wanted for himself. Unlike Adam and Eve, Jesus didn’t do that, he didn’t fail the test. Instead, he quoted that word—three texts from the book of Deuteronomy—back at his tempter. Satan was stymied, and left Jesus alone. For a while (see Luke 4:13).

But here’s something you might not have noticed. Did you catch what Jesus said here about the Bible? He called it “the mouth of God.” “Every word” comes from the mouth of God. When Old Testament prophets (and later New Testament apostles) produced the writings which eventually became our Bible, they were not just jotting down their own ideas. They were recording God’s word in written form. “Prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21 NIV). Though as humans what they wrote, naturally, was human words, nevertheless supernaturally they were speaking “from God.”

The words of Scripture come from the mouth of God. Do you remember what little Samuel said when he heard a voice addressing him in the night? “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears” (1 Sam. 3:9). There’s no question God is speaking to us today. The question is, am I listening?

PRAYER: Lord, when you speak to me in your Word today, help me to listen.