Rev. A.J. Ogden

On the mountain of temptation Jesus is recorded as telling Satan that we do not live only for food and material things that will soon pass away. Matthew 4:4, “But he answered and said, It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

It is important to work and provide food, clothes, and other essentials for our families. In fact, the word of God declares that he who will not provide for his family is worse than an infidel. The apostle Paul said they that won’t work ought not to eat. Second Thessalonians 3:10, “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.” The Bible teaches that we earn a living by the sweat of our brow. God puts his stamp of approval on honest hard work. Unless we are disabled we should work.

But when Satan suggested to Jesus that he make bread out of stones, Jesus quickly told him that there are more important things in life than just making a living. Making a life is far more important than accumulating great riches on earth. God knows we have to eat, and Jesus could have made a train load of bread out of every pebble, stone or rock that day. He who made the earth and every living creature and hung the stars in place, would not have had any difficulty going into the bread business big time. But he was God, and he did not have to do a miracle to prove himself God to the Devil. No, he had already proven himself when he spoke the whole universe into existence.

Some of you out there are probably working mighty hard to make a living, but are you also making a life? It is one thing to exist, but quite another thing to really have life. Jesus said, “I came that ye may have life, and that ye may have it more abundantly.”