The Daniel Plan was based on Daniel refusing to eat the rich foods of the king’s court.  Despite the concern for his life, the guard allowed him to eat clean food, vegetables, for ten days.  At the end of the ten days, he looked healthier and stronger than those who ate the food of the royal court.

 There are so many things that are really just what we make it.  There is no magic formula, no magic pill, no hocus pocus to the plan.  It is what we make it.  It can be elaborate menus or it can be plain, simple, healthy foods like our grandparents used to prepare.  Good, lean protein, clean vegetables and fruits, plus nuts, seeds and whole grains are the base of the entire plan.

   I grew up on a lot of wild game and fish in my early years.  We were asset poor and family rich and had no idea that the way we were eating was the best way to eat!  Beans were another staple of our diet (Mom was nominated as 4-H cooking leader once because she had the reputation for the best beans in the county! Haha)  and when meat wasn’t available, it was beans and cornbread.  We always had a garden and something to eat.  To this day, I don’t feel like we were deprived of anything that was important.  My seven brothers and sisters and I all survived the measles, chicken pox, whooping cough and didn’t get sick very often.  As I got older, dad’s income increased with a new job and different location.  Our diet’s evolved also.  There were more convenience foods, richer foods and fast food.  Our girth increased and our health declined.  Welcome progress.  With that came the “health” craze.  Fat free, sugar free and preservatives.  Instead of getting thinner, we have gotten heavier and our health has declined significantly.  With every ingredient they took out, they added several chemicals and preservatives to make up for it.  Welcome to progress.

 Maybe it’s time to go back to the basics.  Good, clean, simple food that nourishes us and satisfies us.  Maybe it’s time for US to take charge of our own bodies again and reduce the need for the 3rd party interests like doctors and insurance.  Please don’t misunderstand, I absolutely feel we need doctors and insurance, but ultimately, I believe I am responsible for much of the vulnerability my body has.  I can never control it all, but I can reduce the negative influences and be a better steward of what God has put in my charge.  I try to look at it as a partnership.  God provided the assets and, with His help, allows me to manage them, and that includes thinking clearly about what I eat.

 Jean has a big week this week.  Appointments tomorrow for her ankle and Friday for the cancer.  I hope you will be inspired to pray as I am.

Pray for Jean.

 In His light,

Lois

 Think Clearly About What You Eat

BY RICK WARREN

 “‘Test us for ten days,’ he said. ‘Give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare us with the young men who are eating the food of the royal court, and base your decision on how we look.’ [The guard] agreed to let them try it for ten days. When the time was up, they looked healthier and stronger than all those who had been eating the royal food.”

(Daniel 1:12-15 TEV)

 When Daniel refused to become unclean by eating the food of King Nebuchadnezzar’s court, he made a deal with the guard: “‘Test us for ten days,’ he said. ‘Give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare us with the young men who are eating the food of the royal court, and base your decision on how we look.’ [The guard] agreed to let them try it for ten days. When the time was up, they looked healthier and stronger than all those who had been eating the royal food” (Daniel 1:12-15 TEV).

 Daniel didn’t just eat haphazardly, accepting whatever was placed in front of him. He was intentional about what he ate.

 When you think clearly about what you eat, God empowers you to continue to make good choices. Clear thinking leads to self-control.

 By thinking ahead of time, you can prepare so that you won’t have a “food emergency.” This enables you to eat healthful snacks that you packed ahead of time, and you won’t crash in the afternoon because you ate a greasy fast-food lunch.

 Instead, you’ll be on top of your game, ready to do whatever it is that God calls you to do. Being mindful and conscious, thinking clearly, and exercising self-control, you can become Daniel Strong.

 Talk It Over

Share three things you can do to think clearly and prepare in order to avoid a food emergency.

What time of day are you most likely to have a “food emergency”?

How can you prepare for these times when you are vulnerable?

What changes do you notice in yourself when you practice mindful and intentional eating?

 Pastor Rick Warren’s radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America and designed for your daily quiet time.  Love, learn, and LIVE the Word everyday with Daily Hope!  Subscribe to the free Daily Hope Devotional or listen to today’s radio broadcast!