Deuteronomy 8:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

We have the opportunity to remain in our homes, and before and after our meals, we can engage with the sacred scriptures in our hands to gain from them and nurture our spirits. Just as the physical body requires earthly sustenance, the soul equally relies on constant guidance and spiritual nourishment to be fortified against the temptations of the flesh and the ongoing strife that threatens to ensnare us, especially if we allow ourselves to become negligent, even momentarily. Hence, the psalmist David proclaimed that those who meditate on the law of the Lord day and night are truly blessed (Psalm 1:2).

Have you partaken of the bread and found nourishment? Offer your praise to God who has provided for you. If you wish to appease your hunger with a modest portion, thank God who has empowered you, and refrain from proclaiming in public, 'I did not cultivate this share of bread.' What benefit do you derive from this attitude? Are you not passing judgment solely on those who consume and express gratitude?

You have traversed a significant span of forty years, guided directly by the Lord Himself; the moment is near when you will affirm this divine guidance by learning to lead yourself. In the promised land, “thou shalt not eat thy bread with poverty” (Deuteronomy 8:9) and “thou shalt eat and be filled” (Deuteronomy 8:10). How will you approach the blessings you currently enjoy? “Thou shalt remember all the way in which the Lord thy God leadeth thee” (Deuteronomy 8:2).