food

necessary nutrients

Posted on by Grace Day

“Come for breakfast tomorrow morning at our church,” my friend invited the stranger we encountered on our morning prayer walk. “It’s free and really good. You’re also welcome to stay for church afterward, if you like.” Then she added, “You’ll get food for your body and food for your soul.” Her words took me by surprise, but how true they were, I thought, as we walked on together. Jesus, Himself, said as much when He replied to the tempter –

“Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” (Matthew 4:4)

Today our culture seems very focused on food, at least with the physical food that we put in our bodies. Those that are especially dedicated to the pursuit of enjoying good food even have a name- foodies. We have celebrity chefs, abundant cooking shows, as well as many who make their living as nutritionists, diet guru’s and fitness advisors. Our culture tells us to be very concerned about what kinds of foods we consume.

Only problem is, the “experts” all have different ideas about what is the best food or foods for our bodies. We are bombarded incessantly with all kinds of different diet advice. Some fad diets come and go, while others continue to have some influence over people’s food choices. And they all sound so scientific! There is the keto diet, the paleo diet, the vegan diet, the carnivore diet, the low-fat diet, low-carb diet, the intermittent fasting diet, the Atkins diet, a Macrobiotic diet, there is even a cookie diet. (now that sounds appealing rather than scientific, but kind of counter intuitive if you ask me, although no one did) This revelation leaves me wondering why no ice-cream diet? I could definitely get behind that. But I digress.

Some diets seem to be named for a location such as South Beach diet, Hollywood diet, Nordic diet, Cambridge diet, Blue Zones diet or the Mediterranean diet. Point is, we put a lot of thought, time and effort into what we feed our bodies. The food, nutrition and diet industries are big business in today’s culture. BUT – I have to wonder – are we as concerned about and consumed with what we feed our minds and our souls as we are with what we feed our bodies?

After all, Jesus said we don’t live by bread alone. Now even so, Jesus was aware that we need both physical and spiritual food. He demonstrated this when He was teaching large crowds of people who had gathered on a mountainside in Galilee to hear Him preach and teach about the kingdom of God. The people gathered there received food for their souls that day, but Jesus didn’t send them away to journey home with empty stomachs. Jesus also provided food for their bodies that day, namely plenty of fish and bread.

In Deuteronomy, I read just how important the food of God’s Word is to my well-being and to my survival. Moses told the people of Israel –

“Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you – they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.” (Deuteronomy 32:46-47)

Jesus told His disciples this –

“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” (John 6:63)

Peter says this to Jesus –

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69)

Here I see confirmed what Jesus said about God’s word, that I am to live on “every word that comes from the mouth of God.” God’s word is what feeds, nourishes and sustains my mind and my soul. (certainly gives a new meaning to the words “soul food”, doesn’t it?) And here’s some really good news. Unlike with physical food, where there are so many opinions about which foods are beneficial and which foods are harmful, which foods are good for certain ailments or conditions and which foods should be avoided or which foods will help you have more energy or lose weight or . . . the advice about food is contradictory and endless.

BUT – with our spiritual food, God’s Word, we are told this –

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

There it is – ALL SCRIPTURE – all of God’s Word is good for me. Every word of God’s is life to me! I don’t have to avoid certain books of the Bible or restrict my intake of God’s Living Word. It is all good. Every word is life giving, life sustaining, life redeeming! And God’s word even tells me the kinds of things that will feed my mind and my soul well. This is nutrition that will enable me to live the life God calls me to live for Him. Here is God’s prescription for me and for you –

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)

Just as God gave the Israelites manna every morning in the desert, food for their bodies, He gives you and me, dear readers, food for our minds and our souls every day – His Living Word. A daily diet of God’s Living Word provides all the necessary nutrition I need each day. And as an added bonus, God’s Word is totally heart healthy!

“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.” (Psalm 19:7-8)

lifegiving, brain food and heart food – thank You, Heavenly Father, for such perfect food, Your Living Word, which provides me with all the necessary nutrients I could ever need –

sincerely, Grace Day

most ironic post ever

Posted on by Grace Day

The other possible title for this post is “how I saved Thanksgiving” – but that seems a bit presumptuous if not outright unbelievable, so I went with the first title. Me, saving Thanksgiving? – that is definitely presumptuous, unbelievable and ironic all at the same time, because I am not, nor do I claim to be, any kind of a cook. And of course, Thanksgiving is all about the food. (although in Thanksgivings past, I have contributed the not too bad broccoli-rice casserole) Still, I would not come to mind even as a last resort to be the one to call upon to save someone’s Thanksgiving celebration.

Yet, just yesterday, I was someone’s last resort and I did save Thanksgiving, or so they said. Of course, there is a backstory which explains this weird yet true tale. It all started with a phone call very late on Thanksgiving Eve. It was my neighbors across the street. Their oven was not working and they were preparing their Thanksgiving feast for the following day. Their stove and all other appliances were working normally. It was just their oven that had quit working without warning, without giving advance notice that it would be taking the holiday off. (and of course their oven made this decision well after service businesses were closed for the night and for the holiday the following day)

So my neighbors called me, not in search of a cook, but of an oven available on the day when most ovens are working overtime. Not my oven, however. My oven was not booked. I was not cooking. I was traveling south to be with family on Thanksgiving Day. Therefore, I was more than happy to volunteer my oven’s services to my neighbors for the day. And so I did. I must say, when I returned that evening, my house smelled really good, still filled with all the good food smells of what had been baked in my oven during the day. I also received the bonus of a plate of food the next day. Who doesn’t love Thanksgiving leftovers?

My neighbors were grateful, saying I had saved their Thanksgiving. Who doesn’t like to be the hero from time to time? Having had a previous incident with their oven within the past year, my neighbors felt their oven was trying to steal their Thanksgiving, much like the Grinch, who attempted to steal Christmas from the Whos. However, it was really my oven that saved their Thanksgiving, not me.

Because I am not much of a cook, me saving anyone’s Thanksgiving is the height of irony. But here’s the greater irony of me writing this particular post. This post follows a post I wrote just mere days ago – “the joy of left hand/right hand living.” Now the message of that post is basically – do your good deeds on the down low, nobody else needs to know. And yet here I am sharing a good deed story with you all in my very next post? Now that’s irony that can’t go unnoticed nor unmentioned! Oh, how fickle the human heart!

So often others, including these neighbors, have come to my rescue. Often, others are the answer to my prayers of need. Therefore, it is a privilege when I get to be the answer to someone else’s prayer of need. It’s a joy and sometimes the joy just overflows and needs to be shared. I am grateful to have the opportunity to live out God’s instructions –

“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4)

“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” (Hebrews 13:16)

“If anyone has material possessions ad sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:17-18)

This oven lending wasn’t exactly a top-secret mission anyway. It was just an unexpected opportunity that presented itself. The Grinch wasn’t able to steal Christmas and my neighbor’s untrustworthy oven wasn’t able to succeed in stealing their Thanksgiving. Crisis averted. Holiday saved! It was fun and a joy to be a part of this rescue mission that saved Thanksgiving.

But now I must return to the left hand/right hand life of the everyday. I will take up invisibility and anonymity once again, as I go out in search of my next undercover assignment. But don’t expect to hear about it from me. I vow to maintain secrecy at all times in the future.

Happy Thanksgiving to all! May you find plenty of reasons to be thankful, as gratitude is the perfect heart preparation for the upcoming season of Advent.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1)

sincerely, Grace Day