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Today’s reading was from Deuteronomy 8–10. As I read, I was reminded of the life sustaining quality of God’s Word. In Deuteronomy 8:3, Moses reminds the people:

“…man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

Sound familiar? If so, it’s probably the New Testament appearance you’re thinking of, not this one. Jesus quoted this verse in Matthew 4:4 when Satan tempted Him in the wilderness to turn stones into bread. After His own 40-day fast (compare that to the Israelites 40-years of discipline), Jesus responded by saying, in essence, “There are more important things in life than food. God’s Word is what truly gives life.”

After 40 years of wilderness wandering, Moses teaches the Israelites a similar lesson: that they must not forget the Word of God, fall into temptation, and then lose out on His blessing. He urges them in 8:7, 11,

“For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water with fountains and springs that gus out in the valleys and hills… Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments…”

In other words, it’s not the material blessings of the Promised Land that will sustain them—it’s God’s Word.

Moses recounts how the commandments were first given at Mount Horeb. Interestingly, he notes that he fasted for 40 days twice—once when receiving the tablets and again after the people’s rebellion with the golden calf (Deuteronomy 9:9, 18). Whether those 80 days were consecutive or close together, the point is clear: Moses was sustained not by food or water, but by the presence and Word of God.

Side note: The number 40 in the Bible is often associated with suffering, discipline, or judgment. For example, how many days and nights did it rain during the Great Flood? Forty.

In chapter 10, Moses shares how God graciously gave Israel a new set of tablets after the first ones were broken. He calls the people to obey, but more than that, he calls them to heart-level transformation:

“Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.” (Deuteronomy 10:16)

That phrase—“circumcise your heart”—foreshadows a truth that wouldn’t be fully realized until the New Testament. The people of Israel, on their own, couldn’t live up to this standard. The Holy Spirit had not yet been poured out in the way He would be after Christ’s ascension.

When I read this part I had to stop and give thanks to God for what Paul explains in Romans 2:28–29:

"For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God."

As we continue this journey together through God’s Word, I hope you’re seeing what I’m seeing: the Bible is one unified, continuous story.

Takeaway: God’s Word is not just history or information—it is life. Just as physical bread sustains the body, Scripture sustains the soul. When we neglect God’s Word, we starve our spirits. But when we read it consistently, meditate on it, and let it transform us, it shapes our hearts and renews our lives. You're not just reading God’s Word—you're letting it feed you. Let His Word be your daily sustenance and the source of your strength.