Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” - Matthew 4:1-4
Temptations will come and go constantly throughout life - the devil is nothing if not tenacious. In this passage, Christ shows us how best to combat temptation. He quotes Deuteronomy 8:3: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
The word “word” in this verse has two forms in the greek used throughout the new testament:
In this verse, the form used is rhema. A rhema word is a word that has impacted us beyond just reading it on the page (logos). It is a word that comes alive through real life application. A word that becomes tattooed on your heart - no matter what happens, nothing will ever convince you that word isn’t true.
At one point in my life, I was in need of a financial miracle, otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to go to college. I stood on the scripture “But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:19. God miraculously provided me with a scholarship - that I hadn’t even applied for! It covered the remainder of my schooling. No matter how the devil tempts me, I will never be convinced that God is not my supernatural provider. This verse has become deeper than memorization for me - it is a truth proven through life experience.
Logos only becomes Rhema when we live out the Word’s truth by faith. When we are positioned to see God prove Himself true to His Word. What Rhemas are you standing on?
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