Finding a source of food in the wilderness helps the survivor keep energy and focus. There are different kinds of plants that can be eaten in the wild, but some are poisonous. So a person must take great care in what he or she eats when stranded without provisions. That’s why it is ideal to learn what is edible before an emergency situation. Unfortunately, not everyone gets this luxury

As God’s people, however, we do get that luxury. We already know our source of nourishment in the wilderness. It is always healthy, always pure. And as I mentioned under the second survival tip, it is always available. Israel refused it in their wilderness, but Jesus welcomed it in His: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4).

This verse means that, along with the Spirit, God’s Word is the essence of human life. True life is not defined by our natural existence or sustenance (“eating bread”). It’s not even defined by arriving at our destined place in life, like a land flowing with milk and honey. True life is the eternal life that only comes through God’s Word. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men” (John 1:1-4 NASB). Jesus Himself is this Word, and He said, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life” (John 6:63 NASB). That means the way we relate to God’s words is the way we relate to Jesus, who is life itself. Thus He told religious people who opposed Him, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life” (John 5:39-40 NASB).

This truth is so important, that God specifically led His people into the wilderness to teach it to them. He led them into a difficult situation, humbled them, and allowed them to go hungry so they would discover in the deepest way possible that trusting and obeying God’s Word is life itself (Deut. 8:2-3). “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word” (Psa. 119:67). Therefore, God takes us through a spiritual wilderness so we will learn to keep His Word. The good Christian duty of “reading our Bibles” is not enough. Our Father’s purpose is for us to live by His every Word. There are two aspects of this that deserve our attention.

First, “living” by the Word means feasting on its truth till it becomes our way of thinking. It’s one thing to read our Bible; it’s another thing to devour its words until, as one preacher put it, “they devour You.” God’s Word must become our mental culture, a way of thinking transformed from the natural to the divine (Rom. 12:2). This is why I talk about “feasting” on the Word. We cannot merely read our Bibles to log devotional time. We must share Jeremiah’s appetite: “When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight” (Jer. 15:16). And the Psalmist said, “How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psa. 119:103 NASB).

This means we conform our old thought patterns to God’s way of thinking as revealed in Scripture. We read, we study, we meditate, we confess, we declare, we memorise. We bombard ourselves with God’s Word till it starts to reshape the creases in our brains and talk back to us. “My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching. Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you” (Prov. 6:20-22 ESV).

With the Word of God sculpted into our souls, our lives morph into its shape. Then we’re not just reading the Word, but living by it. The wilderness is the very time designated by God for us to make His Word the ultimate source of our lives. The Word is, after all, the only thing we have to live on. But then again, it’s the only thing we need. It is our feast in the wilderness.