From J. C. Philpot's Daily Portions
December 4 "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word
that proceeds out of the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4 "Man shall not live by bread alone." There is heavenly
food to support his soul, as well as natural food to support his body. If a
man is supported spiritually by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of
God, if this be the only food the Lord's people enjoy, how little they have!
If you and I have no more religion than that which comes from what God has
spoken into our soul; if that be the bread we are to live upon; if that be
the strength of our heart; if that be our living portion and our dying
sufficiency--how it narrows up our religion into so small a compass, that
sometimes we seem to require a microscope to see whether we have any or not.
But thus we learn this lesson, "that man lives not by
bread alone." He cannot live by doctrines in the head. He cannot live by
bodily gestures. He cannot live by rites and forms and ceremonies. He cannot
live by anything that springs from the creature. His life is first given by
God, and his life is maintained by every word that proceeds out of the mouth
of God. What the Lord teaches, he knows; what the Lord works, he feels; what
the Lord gives, he possesses; what the Lord speaks to his heart, he has in
his soul, as from the lips of the sovereign Majesty himself. But what a narrow path is this! How it cuts up all
creature righteousness! How it lays the creature low in the dust of
abasement! With all your religion, you have none but what God gives, nor can
you procure a grain; for you have to live, not by bread alone, as in your
natural life, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. How
then are you spiritually to live, except from time to time the Lord speak a
word to your soul?