It Is Written

‘But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”’

Matthew 4:4

In our text today, Jesus was being tempted by Satan after fasting for 40 days. Satan brought different levels of temptation to Him at what could be considered a very vulnerable time for anyone, including the Saviour of the world. Forty days, He was in the wilderness fasting, and now he was tired and hungry. While all this was happening, we have no record of Jesus hearing God’s whisper in His ear. Only the devil seemed to have something to say. This would have been a good time for the dove to appear again, like it did during His baptism, but we hear nothing.

What do you do when you are in a fix and you desperately need a word from God, but all you have is silence? Where is God’s voice? Why isn’t He speaking? Well, He is. You just have to listen to what is written. My husband calls it the voice of The Word. When Jesus needed an answer, He listened to it and overcame the wiles of the enemy.

A Written Voice

Beloved, God is always speaking, but not always in the sense of a loud sound or a whisper. God is always speaking because He has given us 66 books of His infallible Word, which don’t expire based on our circumstances. God has written everything we need to hear, and it’s documented in His Word.

When going through Bible foundation classes, they teach you about the Logos (the written Word of God) and the Rhema (the spoken Word of God). Rhema is God breathing upon the written Word, making it come alive to you in your situation, bringing revelation.

Just As Potent

Often, in tough seasons, we pray, fast, and wait for God to speak from somewhere. Some of us wait for a dream or vision, or an angelic visitation, and these are okay. But don’t forget that the ‘It is written‘ of God is as loud and audible as the ‘Thus saith the Lord.’ It’s God’s voice in letters, and it is just as powerful. Whether you felt a shiver when you read it or not, that word is what God said, period. If you run with it, it will yield the same results.

If you hold on to God’s Word, written in His book, you’re holding on to God’s voice. If you’re asking yourself, ‘I want to hear the voice of God. I want to know what God is saying per season,’ start from what God has written. Speak that word to your situation, and just as satan fled from Jesus, he will flee from you too.

Prayer

Say this simple prayer from Psalm 119

'I will study your instructions. I will give thought to your way of life. I enjoy your laws. I will not forget your word. Open my eyes so that I can see all the wonderful things in your teachings. ' --Psalms 119:15-16,18

Shalom.