TODAY'S SCRIPTURE :Psalm 118:8"It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man."
A lot of people think that the way to get health is to watch what
they eat. For example, many people say that the Mediterranean diet is a
very healthy one. I agree, generally. But do you know that the people
whom Jesus healed were also on a Mediterranean diet? They did not eat
pork and prawns, for example, because they were Jews and these things
are not kosher for them.
I know that you want to walk in divine health. But God does not want
your focus to be on food—what to eat, what not to eat—or even
exercise—how to exercise, when to exercise. All these are natural means
which the people of the world trust in. It is better to trust in the
Lord and His finished work, than to put your confidence in the latest
man-made diet plans and exercise regimes.
At the cross, Jesus took your sicknesses and carried your pains, and
by His stripes you were healed. (Isaiah 53:4–5) The Bible even tells us
how to escape sickness and premature death—by discerning the Lord’s body
when we partake of the Lord’s Supper. (1 Corinthians 11:29–30) But
instead of focusing on these truths, many of us prefer to focus on
dieting and exercising.
Now, I am not against eating well or exercising. I myself exercise
and I do watch what I eat. For example, I don’t like to eat oily stuff
because it makes me feel uncomfortable. And when I have to preach, I do
my best not to eat foods that make me burp!
But I eat generally healthy stuff not because I trust dieting to make
me healthy. I exercise not because I trust exercising to make me
healthy. No, I trust the finished work of Christ to make me healthy. I
eat well because I like to feel good and I exercise because I enjoy the
rush, the sweat!
God wants you to be free when it comes to eating and exercising.
Don’t make laws for eating and exercising, and then trust these laws to
give you “divine” health. Trust in the finished work of Christ. Discern
His body when you partake of the Holy Communion. And just enjoy your
food and workout!
