The Power of God’s Food In Your Life

 Meats, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains!  At every book store there’s a new book about eating healthy.  It’s amazing that they are discovering time and time again what God told us in His Word thousands of years ago!   After all, he’s the creator so why would we need to go somewhere else to find out how to eat? Genesis 1:29-30 Then God said “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed.; It shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to everything that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so.   After the flood, God gave man permission to eat meat from all animals in order to survive. Genesis  9:3 Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you.  Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.  But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it.  Then came the ultimate diet of the Jewish people in Leviticus 11:11-46 that set them apart as God’s people in the community and gave them the blessing of health.  Through obeying the laws of God, God’s chosen people survived their trek through the wilderness to the promised land as a set apart nation.

Later, Jesus came, bringing salvation because of sin.  The law was not destroyed but was made complete through Jesus so that all men could be reconciled to God, if they believe.  Matthew 5:17  Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets;  I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.  Jesus paid the price by becoming our sacrifice.  Peter discovered in Acts 10 though a vision about unclean foods that Jews and Gentiles were the same and neither were held to the law to be made “clean” in the eyes of God.  Acts 10: 28-29 –He said to them:  You are well aware that it is against our law for  Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile.  But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.  So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection.  So, why do we still obey the Laws of God if we are not considered unclean anymore through Jesus?

Although we don’t follow the laws for salvation as Jew or Gentile, we follow out of obedience of a changed heart, because we love Christ,  and for the blessings the Law provides.  John 14:15  If you love me, keep my commands.  The law establishes our morals and our values as Christians.  It even blesses non-believers.  It reveals good and evil.  Look at the history of the ten commandments in our society!  What happens when those laws are broken?  Complete and utter chaos.   So, why is it important to follow the dietary laws of the Jews?  It’s not a sin to eat pork, is it?  No, but it’s for the blessing of a healthier life!!  It says in God’s word,  in 1 Corinthians 10:23  You say, I am allowed to do anything — but not everything is good for you.  You say, “I am allowed to do anything” — but not everything is beneficial.   It is certainly not beneficial for anyone to eat the unclean foods God revealed to the Jews in Leviticus 11:11-46.  Science has proven time and time again that these foods are the culprits of food poisoning, digestive disorders, and disease.

Dr. Rex Russel M.D. wrote in his book What the Bible Says about Healthy Living three principles to live by that promote good health in your life.

A.  Eat only substances God created for food –  Seed bearing plants, fruit, honey, clean meats, vegetables, good water and good fats.
B.  Eat foods as they were created by God – No processed foods in boxes that you don’t understand half the ingredients because the ingredients are not food, but are chemicals, additives, and preservatives.  Eat non-genetically modified foods if at all possible and eat foods that are not tainted with antibiotics and growth hormones, as much as possible, remembering that God is sovereign and will protect you when you can’t afford or find these foods.
C.  Don’t let any food or drink become your God – Put God in his place and food under God in your life to avoid addictions.

Will eating clean food and following these principles keep you from ever getting sick?  Not, ever, never because our world is not perfect.  Will we have to eat unclean foods from time to time? Yes.  But,  you will reap the benefits of a much healthier life as you eat right most of the time and ask the Lord to help you embrace the power of God’s food in your life!