Health and the Bible, Part One

A lot of followers of Christ seem to think the Bible tells us only how to be saved from an eternity in hell, nothing more, and that the rest is up to us to figure out. But I have a hard time with this concept. A God that proves Himself time and time again as the God of the Bible does wouldn’t leave us to “fend for ourselves.” Especially when it comes to being healthy!

So I set out to find answers...

What exactly does the Bible tell us about being healthy? Anything?

For one, we are told God loves and takes care of us:

“If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” ~Matthew 6:30

“Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!” ~Luke 12:24

These are only two verses proclaiming this truth, but the proof of it concerning God’s faithfulness to the Israelites is sound.

Secondly, God wants the best for our lives:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” ~Jeremiah 29:11

Without our health, we have no future.

You might be thinking, why then does He let so many good people die from “incurable” diseases? But hold on a second... God didn’t call any disease incurable, man did. That means man is the only one who doesn’t know how to cure it. Not God.

Just hang in there with me and I will answer the question, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I wish to lay things out in an orderly fashion.

Let’s go way back to the beginning. In the Garden of Eden after God had finished creating man -the delight of all his Creation- what was it he gave them to eat for food?

That’s right... Fruits, Grains, and Nuts:

“Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” ~Genesis 1:29

Then, as a result of the Fall, He gave them Vegetables:

“It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.” ~Genesis 3:18

As a babysitter/nanny, I’ve been in many homes and fed many kids what has been available to me. In almost every home, there are not nearly enough -if any at all- of these foods. There is meat, there is dairy, there is bread, and there is sugar (lots and lots of sugar).

Anyone can google the benefits of fruits, vegetables, and nuts and find they are critical to promoting good health, which makes sense since they were the first foods God gave us! Fruits, as do vegetables, provide vitamins, minerals, and even fiber! So, where have all the fruits and veggies gone? Nuts are rich in fiber, phytonutrients (you know, those things necessary for sustaining human life?), and antioxidants as well as being choked full of good fats.

If you’re wondering: Yes, the Bible does make mention of good and bad fats - Leviticus 7:23.

Is it any wonder those kids, bless their hearts, fight for their health in some form? That’s not their fault or God’s fault. It’s not even mine for feeding them. It’s their parents for not supplying better.

By the time God allowed eating meat in the Scriptures (after the Global Flood), the need for vegetables, nuts, and fruits hadn’t changed! In fact, after the Flood, there was no vegetation, so the only food available was meat. And look at how a diet of meat effected life spans -before the Flood people lived to be around 900 years old, but Noah’s son, Shem, lived to be only 600. After him, Abraham lived only to 175!

This need still has not changed. These things remain our number one food, though one wouldn’t think so to look at the way the average American eats. We’re all about our meats. Burgers, ribs, hot dogs, steak.

Now, don’t get me wrong. As mentioned, God allowed the eating of meat (certain meats, mind you, as made clear in Leviticus). Meat is not a bad thing -I am far from a vegetarian. But the lack of fruits, nuts, and vegetables IS a VERY BAD thing. Those things are imperative to our continued health because God gave it to us as our sole food. Now-a-days meat is the main part of our diet.

I repeat... Is it any wonder there is such sickness and death in this country??? The average life span is in the 70’s! We are literally killing ourselves! No terrorist group should worry about us. At the rate we’re going, we’ll be out of their way soon enough. Just let the ills take us. But, I say NO! Please, we must stop killing ourselves. God did not bless this country the way He has for us to take advantage of it and destroy ourselves!

At this point, some Christians fighting an illness would probably say, “If it is my time to die, then so be it. It must be God’s will.” But wait a second. We just read that God wants the best for us. How is being sick the best for us? That is not God’s will. It was also not God’s will for us to die either (in a spiritual sense), hence why he sent Jesus.

I’ve even known a few believers to say, “I don’t want to be on this earth longer than I have to,” as an excuse to not take care of themselves. People, I can’t stop thinking that this is nothing short of suicide. If you give up on life and taking proper care of yourself, when you know better, you are allowing yourself to die and doing so by your own hand. How do the two differ?

God is very clear in His Word. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..” ~Hosea 4:6

There is your answer: God allows people to die because they do not seek knowledge. They do not seek to learn from Him. They do not seek to really try. They would rather rely on fallible man (the quick and easy solution), than to rely on God the Father that knows EVERYTHING! He doesn’t want us to be sick, sickness leads to nothing! We can’t be anyone for Him if we are sick, and God has such an amazing purpose for all of us! But, at the same time, He will not force us to do anything. He gave us free will to decide and He wants US to be the ones to choose to do right.

The answers are clear and simple. God has given us all we need from the very beginning, if we would but comply.

A bit of advice though...

We must examine EVERY option and where it will lead before making a final choice. Please, DO NOT rely on one person’s opinion with something as complex as your body. It is dangerous ground. You wouldn’t rely on your own opinion, would you? How is one more person any better?

And do not be forced into something by fear. Look to the God who made you for answers on how to maintain His temple, your body. He will be quick to respond, trust me. But you must be willing to comply.

Finally, let’s not forget our fruits, vegetables, and nuts (and by this, I don’t mean peanuts-those are not nuts). God was right to give them to us as food from the very start.

~L. Pierce

P.S. -- A great resource to learn more about nutrition is the Amazing Health magazine by Amazing Facts. The website is www.amazinghealth.com. You can find the fantastic articles from the magazine under Health Articles.

If you would like your own personal magazine, leave a post with your email address below and I would be happy to send you one at no cost. Whatever it takes.

Next Posting--- Herbal Medicine, The Product Of A Caring God