The Israelites welcomed God’s provision of manna because they were in a place of hunger. That’s always the way it is. We get hungry in the wilderness, in the day of difficulty. And it is then that we long for God’s provision for us. Jesus put it this way: “Blessed are you when you hunger and thirst for righteousness, for then you’ll be filled” (see Matthew 5:6). Too often, we don’t crave the Bread of the Word or the Bread of Life because we’re not hungry. There’s a progression seen here: My reaction in the wilderness makes me hungry for righteousness. So I go to church once again, have devotions once more, exchange Newsweek for the Word, turn off talk radio, and listen to teaching tapes. But this doesn’t happen until I’m hungry. And I don’t know I’m hungry until I’m in the wilderness. It’s all part of the program.

Jesus quoted this verse in His own wilderness experience. He was tested for forty days as Satan came and said, “If You’re the Son of God, turn these stones into bread. Take care of Yourself. Find a way to satisfy Your own needs.”

“No,” Jesus said, and quoted Deuteronomy 8:3.

In fact, all three times He dealt with Satan in Matthew 4, Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy. That is why I suggest Deuteronomy was where He was having devotions at that time. As a result, He was empowered to withstand the temptation and to obey His Father - the same opportunity each of us has who eats freely of the Bread of Life, who partakes consistently of the manna of the Word.