Man Shall Not Live By Bread Alone

One of the things that I like about New York City is that bread is expensive.  That sounds pretty odd, so let me explain.  In Virginia Beach we were able to purchase day-old, name-brand, whole-grain breads for $1-$2 a loaf.  We were spoiled!  After arriving in New York City, we quickly discovered that bread would be a big cost in our food budget.  Ben packs a lunch everyday, and Elaine loves her grilled cheese sandwiches.

It was the expense that led me to start making all of our bread.  I had purchased a bread machine for $12 at the thrift store.  It had a horizontal loaf pan, so the bread came out in a good size for slicing and making sandwiches.  I know that this bread is better for us because it doesn’t have any preservatives.  As an added bonus my house smells like fresh bread 2-3 times a week.  I LOVE that!  I usually get intoxicated by the smell of the bread baking, and I just can’t wait for the machine to beep so I can slice off a golden crust and slather it with butter.  Mmmmm.

I found this recipe on another blog, and it makes the absolute best bread ever!  My bread comes out even better in New York City.  It’s in the water.

I was cooking a loaf late the other night.  I was a poor homemaker and had not realized that there was no bread for Ben’s sandwich the next day.  The bread machine hit the baking cycle and I just about hit the ceiling with a craving for a piece of that bread. 

I was reminded of the verse in Matthew 4 where Jesus states, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”  Jesus was using this verse to combat Satan’s temptation in the wilderness.  But just as I had a craving for that bread that was baking, I need to have a daily craving for the Word of God.  Bread is life sustaining.  I cannot live spiritually without the spiritual bread of the Word of God.