Sunday Devotions - Daniel's Diet

Daniel 1:8 Daniel made up his mind not to harm himself by eating the king's rich food and drinking the king's wine. So he asked the chief of staff for permission not to harm himself in this way. 12 Please test us for ten days. Give us only vegetables to eat and water to drink. 15 After ten days they looked healthier and stronger than the young men who had been eating the king's rich food. 




With the debate on "pink slime" and other food related issues, recently I've noticed a variety of "diets"  for healthier living gaining popularity on the Internet. There is the Caveman diet, Hormone diet, Gluten Free diet and even the Daniel diet which is based on the prophet Daniel in the Bible as well as Vegetarian and Vegan. Although they all differ in what is and what is not allowed on their diets for the most part all of these diets tend to emphasize eating real food. In saying real food I'm referring to unprocessed, not from a box, food. You know, food that actually requires preparation. No donuts, chips, or Kraft macaroni and cheese. Rather these diets emphasize more fruits, vegetables, nuts and other foods that are grown rather than created in a factory. 


For the last few months I've made some major changes in my diet. Not that I can get my husband convinced to make the same changes but I am starting to see the effects of my brainwashing on my kids. I've given up pop and practically all sugar and I've tried to load my meals with fruits, vegetables, nuts and less meat. It hasn't been easy, especially when it seems my generation and that of my kids seems to have been raised on nothing but processed foods. 


Since making the diet changes I've felt so much better! I've been sleeping better and have had so much more energy and haven't had that afternoon slump that before would have had me brewing a pot of coffee just to keep me going. I've gotten to the point, finally, where I barely crave sugar (candy or pop) any longer. 


A lot of people don't think there is anything wrong with the American way of eating processed and fast foods but the Bible backs up the wisdom of eating better. Daniel asked his Babylonians captors for a diet of vegetables and water and ten days longer he proved that his diet was healthier. When we are healthy we have more energy. When we have more energy we work better for God. This body and this life was a gift by God for God. We are put on Earth to work for him and to get our jobs done to the best of our ability we need to be as healthy as possible. We wouldn't put milk in the gas tank of our car. Then why would we put junk in our bodies? 




Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for giving us these bodies and the right foods to fuel them for Your work that needs done. Help us make the right dietary choices today for ourselves and our families. Amen.