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F-O-O-D

I’ll be the first to admit that I love FOOD! I love to eat. That’s probably why I look the way I do, but so what? This isn’t about eating per se, as much as it is about … well … EATING!

I recently went on a fast to get some answers about a speaking engagement I was scheduled for. The problem was that I was in a tizzy about whether or not I had really done the right thing by accepting the invitation. Of course it was an enemy attack, but the fact still remained that I really wanted to know if I was doing the right thing.



Three days into the fast, I got my answer: “GO!”

I had committed to fast for twenty-one days. So, I kept going. It was a simple fast, in that I still ate but just did not eat certain foods. So it wasn’t like I was starving because I was not. Instead, when I felt hungry, I had some fruit or water, and I always talked to the Lord when I felt this way.

It wasn’t until after the speaking engagement, after the fast, and at least a week later that I realized that I was still losing weight without trying. This concerned me. You see, I lost my mother to stomach cancer eighteen years ago. I am now the age that she was when she died. So any weight-loss without trying always causes me a bit of anxiety, whether I want it or not. But here is where it gets exciting…

While driving down the road, listening to the radio, a Veggie Tales video playing in the back seat, and my 2-year-old grandson’s chatter, I distinctly heard that wonderfully soft, soothing, comforting voice that I know to be the Holy Spirit, speaking encouragement to me:

It wasn’t lightning bolts and trumpets, a tickertape parade, or balloons and confetti. It was just a very soft, soothing, conversation that no one else in the car heard except me. God works like that. And my point is not to try to tell you that you can stop eating and expect God to keep you alive! Because I don’t lose weight like that. I recommend a healthy eating plan if you do want to lose weight.

My point is that FOOD is very important to our health and well-being. A healthy diet is very important in order to keep our strength up and also to take off weight when we need it. And I do NOT recommend fasting as a means to lose weight quick. Because once you start eating again, you WILL gain the weight back just as quickly. However, if you want to hear a word from God about a situation in your life, if you want to grow closer to Him, then fasting for a short period of time would be the route to go. And fasting is always about the FOOD, but the results are always about the LORD!

Not everyone hears from the Lord the same way. But food was my problem and I knew that giving it up was going to be a sacrifice. God knew it, too. And because of my sacrifice, He answered me, and has kept answering me.

Something amazing happened when I gave up FOOD. It was spiritual. It was private. And it was so special that it is very difficult to explain it. Yes, I still love food. Yes, I still eat food. But I don’t eat like I did. Because in gaining my answers about my speaking engagement, I also gained a knowledge of when and how to eat.

 I have started drinking more water, which I desperately needed, and I have stopped eating so much fried foods, and lean more toward healthier choices. I don’t find myself hungry physically like I once did. Instead, I hunger for God’s Word. So you can usually find me on my porch with my nose stuck in the Bible, or a good devotional.

No matter which way you look at it, whether physical FOOD or Spiritual FOOD, we all need nourishment. Begin by looking in the Word of God before you pick up the french fries. You might find that your appetite just needed a little tweaking.