The Wealth of Food and Health

(excerpt from Faith-Based Solutions Believing Your Way to Wealth)

by Yveatte M. Moore

The world around us is in a fitness craze these days. It’s great that we recognize the importance of being physically fit and healthy, watching what we eat and improving our physical health, but I believe many of us have gone to the extreme.

I had lunch with some business associates recently and noticed most of our discussion centered around what was bad for us and what we should and shouldn’t be eating, what we should or shouldn’t be drinking, and what exercises we should be doing and how often we should be doing them.

Then I realized that our conversation actually hindered us from appreciating the very meal we had gathered to eat and enjoy!

Most of us eat a meal three times each day. Let’s face it—eating is a big part of our lives. We wouldn’t survive without the regular commodity of food. So quite simply, let us recognize each meal for what it is—a gift from God.

Thank You for Our Food

Before we gobble it up and move on to the next thing, let’s slow down and take a moment to thank Him for it.

We don’t always have to announce our thanks publicly; just by simply acknowledging in our hearts that we recognize and appreciate the good gifts He provides for us will speak volumes to His heart.

Let’s look at the promise in 1 Timothy 4:1-5, “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith…and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; 5 for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.”

You see, the truth is that when we receive the food with thanksgiving and we believe God has sanctified it (set it apart as holy) as He said, then we can partake and enjoy it!

If we eat something that makes us feel guilty because we believe it is detrimental to our health, will detract from our appearance or because someone else wouldn’t approve, then it’s very difficult to enjoy it, isn’t it?

1 Timothy 6:17 says, “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.”

How much greater would our daily pleasure be if we believed God’s promises and received His gifts with thanksgiving?! Even a simple meal!

Freedom from Food Rules

There is a fascinating story in the Old Testament (before Christ) in Daniel chapter 1 about a young man and his friends who had been captured from Jerusalem by the Babylonian army. The Babylonian king wanted the best, strongest and brightest men to serve in his court, and Daniel and his friends were appointed by the king to be trained and conditioned for that very purpose.

They were to be educated according to the king’s language and ways, and the king also appointed them a daily ration of his own choice food and wine to develop their physical strength. However, Daniel would not defy God and eat the king’s choice food and wine, since it was unlawful for a Jew to partake of the food sacrificed to false gods.

Daniel instead asked the king’s commander that he and his friends be served only vegetables and water.

The commander at first objected because the king expected Daniel and the young men to grow in strength and power, and vegetables and water would not be enough.

So Daniel asked him to test them for 10 days on vegetables and water and then compare them to the other youths who were eating all the king’s food.

The commander agreed to this test, and…Click to continue