Latest / The Daily Word / April 17 – Living by Every Word from God
Transcript
- Robert Rosales: Hey Lakeshore family, welcome to today's Daily Word podcast. This is Pastor Robert Rosales and my wife Yolanda and I have the privilege of serving at the campus in our Gastonia, North Carolina location. We are your campus pastors at Gastonia. Each day on this podcast, we're taking time to reflect on what God is highlighting from our daily Bible reading. As a church family, we're intentional about creating space to meet with God through prayer, the Word, and by writing down what the Holy Spirit's speaking and how it connects to everyday life. We're reading together using the Life Journal reading plan, and today we're focusing on the New Testament passage from that plan. Now, when I sit down with my time with the Lord, I keep it simple, but I bring some essentials. First, my Bible. Next, my Life Journal. I bring a pen to write some things down. and I always bring a highlighter to mark the verses that stand out as God speaks. I also like to use a couple of trusted study tools. One is Blue Letter Bible. I use that to explore original word meanings and some cross references. And I also use BibleRef.com. This gives me a clear verse by verse breakdown of the text while I'm reading. Now, these tools don't replace the scripture. They just help me in my understanding. and they give me an opportunity to really slow down and listen more carefully. We're also using the SOAP method, S-O-A-P, come on, you know it, Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. It is a practical way to engage God's Word and respond to what He's doing in our hearts. Now, before we read to today's passage, come on, just agree with me as I pray. As we open your word, open us. By your Spirit, make what is written living and active in our hearts. Give us ears to hear, hearts to receive, and faith to obey. Speak, Lord, we are listening. In Jesus' name, amen. Today's passage for April 17th is Matthew chapter four. and I journaled from the all too famous verses three and four. Let me read them to you out of the New King James Version. Now when the tempter came to Jesus, he said, If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. But Jesus answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes. from the mouth of God. Let me read that again. Here's the title of my entry today. Rehma brings life. Rehma. R-H-E-M-A. If you know, you know. If you don't, lean in with me. Here's my observation. First, the English word for word in verse 4 comes from the Greek word rhaema, r-h-e-m-a. And at its most basic level, rhaema means a spoken word, an utterance, something actively said. It emphasizes a word that is being spoken or applied, not just written or stored. When Jesus Christ uses rhaema in Matthew 4-4, He's quoting from Deuteronomy chapter 8, verse 3 in the Old Testament, and he's making a powerful connecting point. Listen to this. Ramah versus Logos. I want to help us to see the distinction. While both can mean word, there's a helpful nuance, okay? Logos, L-O-G-O-S, that means the full message or the full truth. It's the revealed Word of God. We could say it's the Bible. But when we talk about Ramah, We're talking about a specific word, an applied truth, or a truth brought to life from the Bible for your life in a moment. Why is this important? Because in this verse, Jesus is not just talking about scripture as a whole or as the book or as the Bible. He's talking about God's word as living, sustaining communication or speech. to His people. In other words, true life does not come from physical provision alone, in this case bread, but true life comes from every spoken word that's communicated to us from God. This highlights that God is not silent, He speaks. His word is not dead information, it is living and active. And it also highlights that spiritual life is sustained by ongoing dependence on what God says. Let me say that again. Spiritual life is sustained by ongoing dependence on what God says. Friends, Jesus is teaching that physical needs are real, but not ultimate. Our deepest life comes from hearing and trusting what God says. Dependence on God's voice is more essential than physical food. And don't miss the context, okay? This is happening during temptation. The devil is tempting Jesus, attempting to get him off his game. And Jesus resists Satan not with strength, but with God's spoken word. It is written. Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Come on, somebody say amen. Here's how it applies to my life. As a follower of Christ, I choose to remember that real life doesn't come from natural food but from the spoken word of God. I will continue to prioritize my time with God in His word, listening to His voice. Leaning in and ready to receive Rhema words for my life as I do this I know I will experience life to the full Walking and all that God has for me even when the devil tempts me to follow the flesh I Determined to push back and say I will not live by bread alone But by every word that comes from the mouth of my God and here's my prayer father God Thank you for this strong and timely encouragement. I receive it by faith. Holy Spirit, help me walk this out. Help me to be a man that lives by the Rhema Word of God and help me to encourage others to do the same in Jesus' name. Everybody said amen and amen. Well, Lakeshore family. As you go into your day, my prayer is that you'll develop a hunger for God and His Word like you've never had before. As you do, God will open your eyes to the riches of His Word, giving you revelation and life-changing insight that will help you to become everything God's called you to be, fulfilling your mission, purpose, and plan for our great Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you for joining me today on the Daily Word Podcast. I hope this encourages you to stay faithful in the word and sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading. God bless you and we'll catch you again tomorrow. Bye for now.