Exchange...Diets

We began an 'exchange' diet a few months ago. The different items of food are classified according to their composition. Things such as breads are-- starches; oils are-- fats; fruits of course are (surprise) fruits; and vegetables are what they are also. You are allowed so many of the different food groups per meal, per day. It has been a decent diet to follow, and is effective to the extent that the dieter is committed to the diet.

Some people have good diets, some people don't. A good diet helps us to be healthier, but losing weight doesn't always make us healthy, or make us live longer.

The last point seems to fly in the face of what we think we know. Losing weight can help bring down blood pressure, control cholesterol, take pressure off of knees, joints, and organs. But when researchers followed the formerly over-weight people who kept their weight off, there were certain other 'factors' that trumped the weight loss. Those people didn't always live longer, and the --moderately over-weight person-- doesn't necessarily die younger.

Diets...1Peter 2:2 "as newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation;"

"I'm not a picky eater," the man says.
"No, he just doesn't like most vegetables, and he doesn't like..."

We all laugh.

"I know what the Bible says," we are having a Bible study, "but I don't think..."
Of course that is often a lot of the problem. That person isn't the only one that doesn't think.

"When I want your opinion I'll ask for it," I tell my children when they complain about garden work. Of course, when I want their opinion I do ask for it, but do we really think the Almighty God and Creator of the Universe needs our opinion?

"Do you know why God didn't make woman first?"
"No, why?"
"He didn't want an opinion."

That could be funny, but in my case it is often true. How often do we think we can 'pick and choose' what we want to follow from God's Word. Like a smorgasbord, we will fill our lives with keeping the commandments that we like.

3John 1:2 "Beloved, I pray that in all things thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."
What would we look like if our outside prospered the way our soul was fed and prospered? Would we like the way we looked?

We should DESIRE the Word just as a newborn baby does, but in order to grow as we ought we have to move beyond eating ONLY spiritual milk.

Hebrews 5:12 "For when by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God;... 13) For every one that partaketh of milk is without experience of the word of righteousness; for he is a babe. 14) But solid food is for fullgrown men, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil."

"With the health problems that I have, will you be able to help me?" I questioned as we considered taking on the diet challenge.

"In a year you will be a new person," I was promised.
"Yes? -- will I like that new person?" I asked.

Philippians 3:14 I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2) "looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross...,"

Hallelujah! What a Saviour!