Manna 1 - this post is worth 37.21 Gold
Jeremiah 21:8 "Furthermore, tell the people, `This is what the LORD says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death."
One of my husband's favorite comments is, "Life is choices." I see here why he uses that phrase so often in light of our text today. God is saying to us, "Life is choices", and, "Death is choices." We wonder, at times, how something as innocent as food can be a choice of life or death.
It must have been the very same thing that Adam and Eve thought as they chose the forbidden fruit. And we, as dieters, must choose, each meal, whether we will work at recovering our health, or whether we will be persistent in destroying it.
According to some measures, more than 66 percent of American adults could be classified as either overweight or obese. Obesity kills 300,000 Americans each year and rivals smoking as the leading cause of preventable death. The hazards of smoking are touted constantly as we try to raise a generation that is tobacco free. But alas, as obesity rises, we are in limbo in trying, as a nation, to counteract this. Even our churches are silent on the sin of gluttony, lest they offend a majority of its members, and have to reevaluate all the social activities that assemble around potlucks and picnics which occur within its sacred doors.
If the news isn't bad enough for American's, Britain has been officially named the fattest nation in Europe. So, it appears obesity is a global disease that we are not counteracting. The blame is put on fast food, lack of exercise, convenient foods and accessibility to vending machines, all-you-can eat buffets, super sizing, and working Mom's who no longer cook a prepared meal. But what do I single out to be the main cause of our woes? America has taken Jesus out of anything public already, especially the mention of His name in prayer, and we are taking Him out of our "loaves and fishes" mentality in our personal lives. When Jesus broke food and distributed it, He also blessed the food and gave God the Father thanks for what His disciples and followers were about to receive. Which brings me to the point, when was the last time we remembered to say a prayer of blessing before each and every meal? I can hardly imagine thanking God for our daily bread, and then sitting down and overeating until our stomach's felt more than comfortably full, actually ill-feeling.
Overeating is what causes obesity and it's related health risks. Sure, there are other contributing factors, but I say, if we place Jesus at the head of the table at each sitting (you might want to set an extra place setting there as a reminder), then we will have fellowship with Him, and not a love affair with the meal at hand. We can choose life or death at each meal. God has proclaimed it. He has given us a chance to recover. We need to look at food, not as an enemy, but neither as a lover! We must start with one simple step, and I believe it is prayer again, to ask God for a blessing (life) and not a curse (death) before each meal. He will hear. That is why they call it table grace.
Dear Lord, may we be sustained by the portion of our daily bread, and may we be nourished by Your Presence with us at each meal. Amen ©2003-2007 www.gracetoday.com