In my thoughts today about my life; where it came from, where it's been, and to where it's going, I began to see a pattern. At the moment it was a pattern about my weight. UGH... no body wants to see that! Not just my weight but my health as well.
I saw that as a child, I was fairly healthy, but not as "rosy cheeked" and vibrant as I could have been. I grew up poor. I'll not blame my parents at all as they did the best they could to meet our needs.
As a child growing up we had a garden most of the time and I had to eat the vegatables daddy grew whether I wanted to or not. Mostly greens, such as turnips, collards, and mustard greens. We had beans, squash, tomatoes and okra, most everything you see in gardens today.
I guess the fact that we had fresh veggies and some fresh fruit accounts for my health as a child. We had berries and pears, we also had others I'm sure.
There were times when we didn't have much money to buy food, so my mom got what she could. Unfortunatly it wasn't very good food, just cheap. That's what it's like for us today. What I wouldn't give for a garden or the ability to buy the fresh fruits and veg like we used to a few years ago.
In our deep walk of faith with God, most everything has been taken away from us. Let me correct that....we were prompted to give it up, to let it go and trust God for everything.
Did we understand what was happening? I'd have to say no. Not at first, at least. In fact it took us over twenty years for God to fully get out attention to what He wanted to do in our lives.
You may be asking, " how does this have anything to do with growing up poor,your weight and health?" You'll see if you just keep following me.
When we eat "whole foods" (foodies know what I'm talking about) we're eating the way God intended for us to eat. Foods as they are grown, not processed in any way. Foods that are not full of insect poison or artificial fertilizers, which harm the body not make it healthy. In the last 30-40 years we've seen an overwhelming increase of disease. Break that word apart and you have dis- ease. There has been diseases of the physical, mental and emotional areas of so many lives. Ever ask yourself why? When I was a kid I never heard the word "hyperactive" or dislexia or autisum, let alone see someone obese, and look at how many diabetics we have around today......amazing!!! Oh there were the occasional ones, but nothing like today. Please understand me......I am not saying anything against anyone who may have these diseases. My heart goes out to each and every one that does and I would love nothing more than to see them come out of these situations.
There is a program onBBC America called, "You are what you eat" very informative. In fact if you watch it, it'll make you sick to see the foods people in a weeks time. Not just food, but drink as well. They have all these problems, diabetes, hyperactivity and such.
When all we eat is processed or fried foods, our bodies get sluggish, everything moves slowly or not at all ( you know what I mean!) they bloat, they gain weight and just are not healthy, eyes don't sparkle hair don't shine, the list goes on and on.
The doctor on this show gets these folks on a strict 8 week cleansing program. What a difference!! Then they begin to incorporate other foods that are healthy. It's mostly the change of lifestyle and eating habits. They've come to realize that it doesn't cost any more to eat right. Changing your mindset and being disciplined is what it takes.
Anyway, I said all that to say this.......it's the same with God's Word! When we don't consume His word or we consume it improperly, we get spiritually sick and diseased. Okay, I know you're looking at me now like a dog looks at a new bowl....saying, "Whatchu talkin 'bout????"
When all we get of the word is processed from others, we don't get the full healthy benefits of it. I heard someone say, one time a visiting preacher came to the pulpit and pulled out a blender. He then began to tear pages from a Bible and put them into it. Some from the old testament and some from the new. He then added a bit of water and turned it on. He took the slurry from the blender and poured it into a glass, held it up and asked who would like to drink it.
I agree.....that's a little crazy, but do you realize that is exactly what preachers do in church today? Not just preachers but teachers, and evengalist and writers of books. For example they talk about the promises of God and how we should claim them. You better stop and ask yourself a few questions. When God makes a promise in the Old Testament He also makes it conditional. But mainly ask yourself "WHO IS HE TALKI NG TO" He's talking to the Jews not to gentiles.
Paul does tell us that the old is for our learning but not for our doctrine. Those promises of the land, wealth and such, were not meant for us today. Therefore, there is a blended gospel going around out there and many are being deceived by it. The folks preaching these things obviously don't know what they're talking about because they don't know the delineation of the word, or how to divide the word properly. Their teaching is the same as the artificial foods. It does fill the hungry belly but it keeps you unhealthy, in mind, body and spirit. Not to mention unfit for the service of God. A good lesson on this is in Daniel, where he and the other Hebrew boys refused to eat the kings food and requested only vegatables and clear water. At the end of the trial period when they were tested, they passed with flying colors where the ones that ate the kings food were sluggish and unfit. Don't take my word for it....read Daniel chapter 1.
My prayer for you today is that you will take the word of God for yourself and ask Him to show you theREAL WHOLE word. Ask God to show you what to do as Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15 and 16. To study, to rightly divide the word. To avoid the babbling and blending of others. Christ tells us in Matthew 9:16 not to blend the old with the new, using the garment as an illustration. He also talks about not using the old wineskin to store new wine. Both have the same spiritual meaning.
When you sit down to read or are in church listening to your pastor or whatever....ask the Lord to give you eyes to see and ears to hear what is being said and listen carefully to what you hear. This also is a warning from Jesus in Mark 4:24 And he said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you." ESV Bible
Ever wonder why you don't seem to get any understanding out of the word when you read it or hear it?
Stop seeing with preconceived notions. Stop seeing it according to what someone tells you it means.
Ask God for yourself. Stop being a follower of the crowd down the broad way in death and start following Christ on that very path which leads to life.
I saw that as a child, I was fairly healthy, but not as "rosy cheeked" and vibrant as I could have been. I grew up poor. I'll not blame my parents at all as they did the best they could to meet our needs.
As a child growing up we had a garden most of the time and I had to eat the vegatables daddy grew whether I wanted to or not. Mostly greens, such as turnips, collards, and mustard greens. We had beans, squash, tomatoes and okra, most everything you see in gardens today.
I guess the fact that we had fresh veggies and some fresh fruit accounts for my health as a child. We had berries and pears, we also had others I'm sure.
There were times when we didn't have much money to buy food, so my mom got what she could. Unfortunatly it wasn't very good food, just cheap. That's what it's like for us today. What I wouldn't give for a garden or the ability to buy the fresh fruits and veg like we used to a few years ago.
In our deep walk of faith with God, most everything has been taken away from us. Let me correct that....we were prompted to give it up, to let it go and trust God for everything.
Did we understand what was happening? I'd have to say no. Not at first, at least. In fact it took us over twenty years for God to fully get out attention to what He wanted to do in our lives.
You may be asking, " how does this have anything to do with growing up poor,your weight and health?" You'll see if you just keep following me.
When we eat "whole foods" (foodies know what I'm talking about) we're eating the way God intended for us to eat. Foods as they are grown, not processed in any way. Foods that are not full of insect poison or artificial fertilizers, which harm the body not make it healthy. In the last 30-40 years we've seen an overwhelming increase of disease. Break that word apart and you have dis- ease. There has been diseases of the physical, mental and emotional areas of so many lives. Ever ask yourself why? When I was a kid I never heard the word "hyperactive" or dislexia or autisum, let alone see someone obese, and look at how many diabetics we have around today......amazing!!! Oh there were the occasional ones, but nothing like today. Please understand me......I am not saying anything against anyone who may have these diseases. My heart goes out to each and every one that does and I would love nothing more than to see them come out of these situations.
There is a program on
When all we eat is processed or fried foods, our bodies get sluggish, everything moves slowly or not at all ( you know what I mean!) they bloat, they gain weight and just are not healthy, eyes don't sparkle hair don't shine, the list goes on and on.
The doctor on this show gets these folks on a strict 8 week cleansing program. What a difference!! Then they begin to incorporate other foods that are healthy. It's mostly the change of lifestyle and eating habits. They've come to realize that it doesn't cost any more to eat right. Changing your mindset and being disciplined is what it takes.
Anyway, I said all that to say this.......it's the same with God's Word! When we don't consume His word or we consume it improperly, we get spiritually sick and diseased. Okay, I know you're looking at me now like a dog looks at a new bowl....saying, "Whatchu talkin 'bout????"
When all we get of the word is processed from others, we don't get the full healthy benefits of it. I heard someone say, one time a visiting preacher came to the pulpit and pulled out a blender. He then began to tear pages from a Bible and put them into it. Some from the old testament and some from the new. He then added a bit of water and turned it on. He took the slurry from the blender and poured it into a glass, held it up and asked who would like to drink it.
I agree.....that's a little crazy, but do you realize that is exactly what preachers do in church today? Not just preachers but teachers, and evengalist and writers of books. For example they talk about the promises of God and how we should claim them. You better stop and ask yourself a few questions. When God makes a promise in the Old Testament He also makes it conditional. But mainly ask yourself "WHO IS HE TA
Paul does tell us that the old is for our learning but not for our doctrine. Those promises of the land, wealth and such, were not meant for us today. Therefore, there is a blended gospel going around out there and many are being deceived by it. The folks preaching these things obviously don't know what they're talking about because they don't know the delineation of the word, or how to divide the word properly. Their teaching is the same as the artificial foods. It does fill the hungry belly but it keeps you unhealthy, in mind, body and spirit. Not to mention unfit for the service of God. A good lesson on this is in Daniel, where he and the other Hebrew boys refused to eat the kings food and requested only vegatables and clear water. At the end of the trial period when they were tested, they passed with flying colors where the ones that ate the kings food were sluggish and unfit. Don't take my word for it....read Daniel chapter 1.
My prayer for you today is that you will take the word of God for yourself and ask Him to show you the
When you sit down to read or are in church listening to your pastor or whatever....ask the Lord to give you eyes to see and ears to hear what is being said and listen carefully to what you hear. This also is a warning from Jesus in Mark 4:24 And he said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you." ESV Bible
Ever wonder why you don't seem to get any understanding out of the word when you read it or hear it?
Stop seeing with preconceived notions. Stop seeing it according to what someone tells you it means.
Ask God for yourself. Stop being a follower of the crowd down the broad way in death and start following Christ on that very path which leads to life.
About Glenda Maynard:
Affectionately known as "William's wife" ,mother to three, and a Grandmother; Glenda is a Bible teacher, who passionately encourages people with the Good News of Jesus Christ. She lives in Tennessee with her family and enjoys writing articles that she hopes will bring forth life, truth and hope to others.
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