And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 8:3
Read: Deuteronomy 8:1-20 | Additional Reading: Matthew 4:3–4, Luke 4:1–4, John 4:34; Philippians 2:5–8
Bread was central to the diet of the ancient Near East. Even today, many cultures have a bread that is unique and prevalent to their diets. There is the crunchy baguette in France, the unleavened roti in India, the spongy injera in Ethiopia, the thin tortilla in Mexico, and the soft pandesal in the Philippines.
But in Deuteronomy 8:3, Moses declares that man doesn’t live by bread alone. While the Israelites were in the wilderness, God provided for them by raining down manna, a bread-like food, from heaven. Now, as they prepare to enter the Promised Land, a land of plenty, Moses takes time to remind the people who fed them in the wilderness. And even though they will no longer need bread to rain down from heaven in the new place they are going, their dependence on God remains the same. It is in trusting and obeying God’s word that they will live and thrive in the land. They need his word like they need bread to survive.
In the same way, our dependence on God’s word should be like our reliance on bread. Each day of this fast, our bodies will crave more and more the nourishment that bread provides. But it is this craving, this almost all-consuming awareness of our need for food, that this metaphor of God’s word as bread becomes all the more relevant to us. Just as our bodies crave bread, we should crave God’s word, living in constant awareness of our need for him and his words every day.
In fact, we learn in John’s gospel that Jesus himself is the very Word of God. He calls himself the “bread of life,” promising that whoever comes to him will never hunger or thirst. When we come before him and fill ourselves with God’s Word, we can receive his salvation and be truly fulfilled.
God’s word is true. God’s word is powerful. And it is through God’s word that he reveals himself to us, and we are transformed and empowered to live for him.
As we go into a week of prayer and fasting and our hunger for bread grows day by day, may our appetite for God’s word grow even more.
Write down your thoughts on today’s devotional. Pray that God will continue to speak as you reflect.
Think of a situation when you had to depend on God. Give him thanks for sustaining you through it.
What verse or passage has kept you encouraged this past year? Take time to praise God for his word being trustworthy and powerful in your life.
And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 8:3
God, thank you for the gift of the Bible. Through your word, you speak to me and remind me that you are for me. You show your everlasting character, and I learn to hear your voice as I read and meditate on scripture. Lord, help me build a daily desire to abide in your word, a desire that would grow throughout my walk with you. Your word nourishes my spirit and fulfills my heart. As I pray, fast, and consecrate myself to you this week, may my understanding and love for you grow as I draw nearer to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Ibinaba niya kayo sa pamamagitan ng paggutom sa inyo at pagkatapos, binigyan niya kayo ng ‘manna’—isang klase ng pagkain na hindi pa ninyo natitikman maging ng inyong mga ninuno mula pa noong una. Ginawa ito ng PANGINOON para ituro sa inyo na hindi lang sa tinapay nabubuhay ang tao kundi sa bawat salita ng PANGINOON.
Deuteronomio 8:3
Basahin: Deuteronomio 8:1–20 | Karagdagang Babasahin Mateo 4:3–4, Lucas 4:1–4, Juan 4:34
Ang tinapay ay pangunahing pagkain sa Sinaunang Malapit na Silangan. Maging sa kasalukuyan, may tinapay na natatangi at kilala bilang bahagi ng isang kultura. May malutong na baguette sa France, walang pampaalsang roti sa India, mala-espongha na injera sa Ethiopia, manipis na tortilla sa Mexico, at malambot na pandesal sa Pilipinas.
Subalit sa Deuteronomio 8:3, inihayag ni Moises na ang tao ay hindi lamang sa tinapay nabubuhay. Habang ang mga Israelita ay nasa disyerto, tinugunan ng Diyos ang kanilang pangangailangan sa pamamagitan ng pagpapaulan ng manna, isang mala-tinapay na pagkain mula sa langit. Habang naghahanda sila sa pagpasok sa Lupang Ipinangako, isang mayamang lupain, ipinaalala ni Moises sa kanila kung sino ang nagpakain sa kanila sa disyerto. At kahit pa hindi na nila kailangan ang pag-ulan ng tinapay mula sa langit sa bagong lugar na pupuntahan nila, ang pagtitiwala nila sa Diyos ay hindi nagbabago. Nakasalalay sa pagtitiwala at pagsunod nila sa salita ng Diyos ang pamumuhay at pag-unlad nila sa lupaing ito. Kailangan nila ng salita ng Diyos gaya ng pangangailangan nila sa tinapay upang sila ay mabuhay.
Ang pagtitiwala natin sa salita ng Diyos ay tulad ng tinapay na inaasahan nating darating. Sa bawat araw ng pag-aayunong ito, ang katawan natin ay mas maghahanap ng sustansya na ibinibigay ng tinapay. Subalit sa paghahangad na ito, sa napakatinding pangangailangan sa pagkain, mas nagkakaroon ng katuturan para sa atin ang paghahalintulad ng salita ng Diyos sa tinapay. Gaya ng paghahangad ng katawan natin ng tinapay, dapat nating hangarin ang salita ng Diyos, mamuhay nang may kamalayan sa pangangailangan natin sa Kanya at sa Kanyang salita araw-araw.
Sa katunayan, natutunan natin sa ebanghelyo ni Juan na si Jesus mismo ang Salita ng Diyos. Sinabi Niyang Siya ang “tinapay ng buhay,” at ipinangako Niyang sinuman ang lumapit sa Kanya ay hindi na magugutom o mauuhaw. Kung tayo ay lalapit sa Kanyang harapan at pupunuin natin ang ating mga sarili ng Salita ng Diyos, matatanggap natin ang Kanyang kaligtasan at mararanasan natin ang pagiging ganap sa Kanya.
Ang salita ng Diyos ay totoo. Ang salita ng Diyos ay makapangyarihan. Ipinakilala Niya sa atin ang Kanyang sarili sa pamamagitan ng Kanyang salita, at tayo ay nakakaranas ng pagbabago at nagkakaroon ng kakayahang mamuhay para sa Kanya.
Sa pagsisimula natin ng isang linggong pag-aayuno at sa patuloy na paglakas ng ating gutom sa paglipas ng bawat araw, nawa ay maging mas malakas ang paghahangad natin sa salita ng Diyos.
Isulat ang mga naisip mo tungkol sa debosyonal ngayong araw. Ipanalangin na patuloy na mangusap sa iyo ang Diyos habang lalo mong pinag-iisipan ang mga ito.
Isipin ang isang sitwasyon na kinailangan mong umasa sa Diyos. Pasalamatan Siya sa pagbibigay sa iyo ng kalakasan hanggang sa mapagtagumpayan mo ito.
Anong mga pahayag sa kasulatan ang nagpalakas ng iyong loob noong nakaraang taon? Maglaan ng panahon upang pasalamatan ang Diyos para sa maaasahan at makapangyarihan Niyang salita sa buhay mo.
Ibinaba niya kayo sa pamamagitan ng paggutom sa inyo at pagkatapos, binigyan niya kayo ng ‘manna’—isang klase ng pagkain na hindi pa ninyo natitikman maging ng inyong mga ninuno mula pa noong una. Ginawa ito ng PANGINOON para ituro sa inyo na hindi lang sa tinapay nabubuhay ang tao kundi sa bawat salita ng PANGINOON.
Deuteronomio 8:3
Aming Diyos, maraming salamat sa inihandog Ninyong Bibliya. Sa pamamagitan ng Inyong Salita, nangungusap Kayo sa akin, at ipinapaalala Ninyo na Kayo ay para sa akin. Ipinapakita Ninyo ang Inyong hindi nagbabagong katangian, at natututo akong pakinggan ang Inyong salita habang binabasa at pinagninilay-nilayan ko ang Inyong kasulatan. Panginoon, tulungan po Ninyo akong magkaroon ng paghahangad na sundin ang Inyong salita araw-araw, isang paghahangad na mas lalo pang lalakas habang patuloy akong namumuhay sa piling Ninyo. Ang Inyong salita ang nagbibigay kalakasan sa aking espiritu at nagbibigay ng katuparan sa aking puso. Habang ako ay nananalangin, nag-aayuno, at nagtatalaga ng aking sarili sa Inyo ngayong linggo, nawa ay mas lumalim pa ang pagkaunawa at pagmamahal ko sa Inyo at magpatuloy akong lumapit sa Inyo. Sa pangalan ni Jesus, Amen.
What is the staple food in your home? Staple food is the main food crop that is eaten and the main source of energy in a diet. It sustains us every day. People in different parts of the world have different staple food.
Here is a list of common staple food around the world:
• Corn or maize
• Rice
• Wheat, which is mostly made into bread and pasta
• Root crops, like potatoes and cassava
• Soybeans
Do a little investigative work and see the different places in the
world where the food on our list is considered as staple food.
STAPLE FOOD
Corn
Rice
Wheat
Root crops
Soybeans
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS THE MAIN FOOD CROP?
Our devotions this week will encourage us to read the word of God. Be excited to discover the meanings behind the interesting symbols used by Jesus to teach us some very important lessons and truths.
Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.
Deuteronomy 8:2–3 (NIV)
When the Israelites were traveling in the desert for forty years on their way to the Promised Land, they did not go hungry because God sent food that fell from heaven, which they called manna. These were thin flakes like frost and sweet like honey, which they boiled, ground into flour, and made into bread and cakes. That was how God provided food for them. They had more than enough for each day so they never became hungry in the desert.
Yet God also told the Israelites that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. There is physical bread (like manna) for the body, and there is the bread that is for the spirit.
Who is this true bread? As we read about Jesus’ life in the book of John in the Bible, we learn that Jesus is the Word of God. He also called Himself the bread of life (John 6:35).
Every person was created by God with a body and spirit. While our bodies will survive with physical bread, we need Jesus—the bread of life—for our spirits to live. Whoever goes to Jesus will never be hungry, and whoever believes in Him will never be thirsty.
So when God said, man does not live on bread alone, He did not want the Israelites to focus only on the manna (or the provision), but to trust and obey Him who provides for everything they need.
Just like the Israelites, God is teaching us to depend only on Him. We learn God’s ways through the Bible. It does not only feed, strengthen, encourage, comfort, and satisfy us, but it gives us life!
4–6 years old
• Do you like to eat? How many days do you think you can live without food? Why do you think we need to
eat food?
• Tell me what your favorite food is, and I’ll tell you if that is good for your body.
7–12 years old
• What is one food you definitely have to eat every day? Why?
• What is one thing you cannot get through your day without (e.g., your mobile phone, your camera, your
toys)? In reality, this is your “bread,” but is it right?
• What is one thing (such as an item or a habit) you cannot live without? Why?
• Does the Bible really satisfy us spiritually? How?
Knowing that we do need food for our spirit, let us have Jesus as our bread of life. He is the Word of God and all truth comes from Him. May we be fed not only by natural or physical bread. If we hunger for God and His truth, our lives will be full and satisfied.
Just as you would eat bread every day to be full, starting today, will you make reading the Bible a daily habit? God’s word has the power to transform us so we can be more like Him. As we pray and fast this week, ask God to open the eyes of your heart to see the truth that God wants to teach you through His word, beyond what is obvious or literal. God’s word will sustain you.
Dear God, thank You for giving us all that we need—food, our family, a home, and all Your blessings. Most of all, thank You for giving us Jesus, the bread of life who strengthens, comforts, encourages, and sustains us.
Thank You for Your word that guides us. As we continue to know You and love You more, please teach us to understand what is right and what is wrong. Help us to obey the truth and teach us to trust and obey You more. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Which one is your favorite bread?
It’s fascinating to know there are hundreds of kinds of bread that you can make out of simple grains, such as wheat or corn.
Around the world, you will find the crunchy baguette in France, the unleavened roti in India, the spongy injera in Ethiopia, the thin tortilla in Mexico, and the soft pandesal in the Philippines.
You can learn more about different types of bread around the world by searching for “the world’s best breads” online.
From now on, as you chew on your favorite bread, always remember there is nothing else that will satisfy you as much as Jesus would because He is our bread of life and only He can sustain you as you chew on (read and meditate) His word every day. Whoever comes to Him will ever hunger or thirst. Be hungry for God’s word!
