~Matthew 6.25-33 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink . . . . Is not life more than food . . .? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? . ... So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ . . ..’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
~Matthew 6:31-34 Peterson's Message Bible What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
Jesus says not to worry about what we will eat, but I give thought to this constantly. You can evaluate my reason for doing so. Some years ago, although I felt fine and had no symptoms, I flunked a bone density test. The doc started me on some high powered drug and instructed me to take multiple calcium pills daily and to drink lots of milk. I did this for five years with little improvement in my score. Then I started studying the issue. I learned some bad things about the prescription and the mega-doses of calcium and dairy, so I stopped the drug and the supplements; I cut back on the milk. I read more about nutrition and started eating a lot more fresh vegetables and fish and way less red meat, white flour, and packaged stuff with mysterious ingredients. I feel good about all this, but scientists have conflicting opinions on what to eat to best help bones (and for health in general), so I'm still always studying food.
Jesus seems to be talking about worrying over whether one has enough to eat. No credit to faith, but because of my current situation of abundance, I don't do that. BUT I do worry about whether I'm getting enough of this or that mineral or nutrient or fiber which is probably the same thing. I think that if I can just get this figured out, make myself some reasonable food guidelines to live by, then I can stop thinking about it and just do it. But I'm not at that point yet. And in fact, that's why I'm doing this study of what the Bible says about food. I figure God should know what makes a body work well. (No locusts tho, thanks!)
Father God, if I'm going over the top with this, please show me. If I'm on the right track, please encourage me. And if the things I learn are of value to anyone else, kindly make that connection.
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