Eating Healthy Is God's Plan

Daniel 1:5-8 - The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service.  Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.  The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.

 

It was one of the hardest times for Jews.  God had placed a great king in charge of them…and he decided to take the strongest and wisest of them back to Babylon.  He picked several youth….intending to train them for his army. We only know the names of four….the four that God used to change the heart and life of Nebuchadnezzar.

 

Daniel and his friends knew that the kings food would defile them…they knew it was against the dietary laws God had used their families to teach them from birth.  So they ‘resolved’ in their heart to find a ways to follow God’s plan …and find a way to stay pure and undefiled. God gave the guard in charge of their food a special love for these boys…so that he gave them all that Daniel requested.It was a simple diet of vegetables and water….but it allowed them to be healthier and stronger than all the others in the kings training camp.

 

This story was perfectly timed for me. Years of very little exercise….eating all the sweets I want….and not worrying about the 20 or so extra pounds I have accumulated in the 56 years of my life have finally begun to take its toll on my physical body.  The last doctor’s visit revealed the damage done…borderline diabetes….high blood pressure….and high cholesterol. The choice must be made to refuse some of things I love…and find a way to exercise that won’t stress my arthritis any more than necessary.

 

My habits are so deeply ingrained…I will admit I have struggled this first week after I got the news. I need Daniel’s resolve to give up the sugar…eat healthy…and use the muscles of my body for more than just crochet and knitting. Walking into school from the parking lot doesn’t count. If I can be as passionate about my diet and exercise as I feel about my visits with God in the mornings…he can help me get this under control before I have to take any meds.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that this body you loaned me to use on Earth is your Temple…and I need to keep it as healthy as possible.  Forgive me for allowing the world to teach me so many bad habits that have damaged it.  Show me how to find Daniel’s faith and resolve to change the pieces of my world that I need to begin a healthier lifestyle. Amen.