Friday, July 15, 2016

Veggies for the King’s New Wise Men

Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom. Daniel 1:20

King Nebuchadnezzar evaluated the young Jewish scholars who he’d taken captive from Jerusalem. He found Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah to be the smartest and most capable, so he put them in his personal service. What an honor for them to work for the king—but it put them in a sort of awkward position above some of the local folks. The magicians and enchanters in the king’s realm weren’t too happy to have the king relying on these young foreigners, so they plotted against them. The story of Daniel and his friends goes on—see the next few chapters in the book of Daniel. Do you think that Daniel and the other Jewish young men could attribute their success to their diet of vegetables (see Daniel 1:16)?  They certainly treated their bodies as the Temple of God—keeping it pure and holy. Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

Do you like vegetables? How often do you eat them?  The United States Department of Agriculture recommends that we fill half of our plate at each meal with fruits and vegetables. Within that half-plate, more than half of it should be vegetables. What are your favorite vegetables? There are such a variety—especially at this time of the year. Below is a list of vegetables to consider the benefits for your body—the Temple of God.

Prayer ~ Lord, help us to choose healthy foods to eat that would bring You honor and glory. It’s all about choice…food, thoughts, words, and actions. May these all be pleasing to You.

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table
Daniel and his friends were used to eating a diet of vegetables—what we would consider a vegetarian diet today. No meat, no wine. Only water to drink. No smoothies. Those would probably raise their blood sugar level too high. Here’s a short list of vegetables and their benefits. What will you eat today?

Artichokes       Cholerectic – good for bile production
Asparagus        Diuretic
Aubergine        Protects fatty membrane cells, good for nerves and brain
Beet                 Decreases blood pressure; anti-cancer
Broccoli           Prevents cancer
Cabbage           Protects heart
Carrots             Protects eyes and heart
Celery              Powerful painkiller; mild diuretic
Fennel              Anti-inflammatory
Kale                 Reduces risk of cancer
Leeks               Lowers cholesterol; fights cancer
Onions             Antihistamine; anti-inflammatory; aids digestion
Peppers            Protects against cancer
Potatoes           Lowers blood pressure
Spinach            Fights cancer – particularly stomach, prostate and ovaries
Sweet potatoes Anti-inflammatory; aids digestion.

© 2016 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

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