“People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4b
There’s an old proverb that says, “The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg.”
In all that hot water, there’s profound meaning: the circumstances that work for you, push you to grow and adapt, might crush someone else. The gentle, subtle suggestion that’s right for another, might not work for you. If you’re a parent, you’ve seen this in action. One child needs to experience the harsh consequences of her choices while another only needs a look of warning and she course corrects immediately.
God made us and speaks to each of us in different ways. The Bible contains His words, and He speaks as we read or listen to it, through His Holy Spirit directing our thoughts. Each new day, we need to hear God’s personal words for us.
Today, God’s perfect words to you might hold a gentle correction, nudging you to get up and make a change. Or His perfect words might be those of comfort or encouragement. What matters is that you have relationship with God where you can hear those living words for you today. Jesus said, “People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4b).
When I’m focusing on making sure I’m hearing from God daily, I’m going to have a lot less time and energy making sure you’re on track. The Bible talks about saying, “Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. So let’s stop condemning each other” (Romans 14:12-13a). When we realize that we each need to hear God’s voice for ourselves, we’re also more gracious with those who are different from ourselves.
You are unique and God will speak very personally to you if you are His and you’ll listen.
