Philippians 4:6-8
King James Version
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-8
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
6 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.
7 And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 5:15-16
King James Version
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15-16
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
15 Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people),
16 Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil.
I am pondering these verses today. How can we walk both circumspectly, taking great care AND yet take care for nothing? There are no contradictions in the Bible so how are both of these statements true.
I think the keys lie in “letting God” transform us instead of trying to self help ourselves into godliness and a radical shift of trusting and believing God.
My testimony. I had crohn’s disease for a very long time, close to 18 years. For 18 years I had to take care about everything I ate, limiting drama and vexation, how much I slept, not overdoing it etc. Everything I did was so consequential. I was trained by the world and sickness to take “care” continuously or else!
I find in walking away from sickness, I need my thinking and habits to be reprogrammed. I am learning to choose foods that are healthy to my body over the ones that simply taste good to my tongue. I am letting go of needing to think intensively about how much or if my body can tolerate foods (I can now do all things in Christ who strengthens me) and instead just tune into the biblical truth of “everything in moderation” and the gift of temperance (self control, more accurately Holy Spirit guided).
When I was healed of all food intolerances, I was surprised to discover I actually full much sooner and had a strong urge to stop eating while there was still plenty of food on my plate. God knows what we need. If we treat our bodies as God’s temple and ask Him to give us the desire to feed it was is healthful and in the right quantities, I believe He will help us in every single detail.
So now, I am much more mindful of not putting things that are toxic to my body in but eat freely of all the healthy things that used to cause me much distress and suffering. I take care to honour God in all things including what I eat and yet I am more and more free of the fear that used to surround eating simple healthy foods that used to grip my life and control my days.
1 Corinthians 10:30-33
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
“30 If I partake [of my food] with thankfulness, why am I accused and spoken evil of because of that for which I give thanks?
31 So then, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you may do, do all for the honor and glory of God.
32 Do not let yourselves be [hindrances by giving] an offense to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God [do not lead others into sin by your mode of life];
33 Just as I myself strive to please [to accommodate myself to the opinions, desires, and interests of others, adapting myself to] all men in everything I do, not aiming at or considering my own profit and advantage, but that of the many in order that they may be saved.”
Why do I take the time to share this? In my healing journey, I have found that when I start to fret and worry about this and that and don’t simply believe what the Word of says and do it without allowing my reasoning and former experiences (remember, I was trained for 18 years to believe that certain wonderfully healthy foods would make me feel very sick) then these symptoms start to creep back in again.
Here is what the Bible says.
Philippians 4:13
“I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].”
A couple of little testimonies to my inner dialogue where these verses came into play.
When I had my last child, I was up many a night as that child just loved to nurse. Historically if I missed sleep for days on end as I did during those 6 months of my life, I ended up feeling ill and lost ability to function. With a houseful of children and my husband at work, that was simply not an option. So every night while I was nursing, I redeemed the time by praying blessings over my children and rejoicing in the preciousness of these gifts from God. I thanked God for multiplying the hours of rest I did get so that I could function well the next day. In hindsight, I should have prayed that I would abound each day. I made it through and did function well through those months. In the end I was led to sleep train this precious one. Now I can from a place of both Word knowledge and experience encourage other moms to embrace those long tiring moment of a needy child being on our laps and use the time to pray powerful, life impacting blessings on a child that perhaps had assignments, or curses or just general health issues at play. All my children are now excellent sleepers. I am truly thankful for the lessons God taught me during the “night watches” of motherhood.
Regarding food, I went about 10 years or more without really being able to digest fruit and vegetables and other things high in fiber and the like. Eating these things led to such a disturbance in my bowels that the pain alone made them unworthy of consumption. I had two life saving surgeries that radically reduced the amount of essential internal plumbing I have that most people rely on to digest their food. So in the natural, there was virtually nothing to be done other than avoid the foods that were hurtful and try to supplement in the nutrition that I missed out on via these other healthy foods. I was spending time with God, and I remember hearing “Why do you believe that you cannot do what I say you can do?”. I was convicted. “I say you can do all things in Me who strengthens you” The mental math picture popped into my brain and the thought came next “If you can only digest 5% in the natural, Christ will do the other 95% for me”…. Truly I CAN do ALL things in Christ who strengthens me so surely I can digest some grapes, nuts etc. So I took Him at His Word. To this day, these words echo through my heart every time one of those lingering thoughts come and I am tempted to be careful, fearful of eating certain foods. I speak out loud these same promises and remind myself that I will take care for nothing and can do all things including digesting this bit of food I am eating.
Does anyone remember the rage of the book “Wheat Belly” or something similar? I remember all sorts of homeschooling mamas suddenly trying to convince everyone that the wheat we eat is so unnatural and unhealthful that it is causing most of the digestive distress in the world. That of course and eating dairy…. So suddenly I was faced with a temptation to have to give up two of the only foods I could still eat at the time. Then God revealed these verses to me.
Psalm 81:15-16
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
“15 [Had Israel listened to Me in Egypt, then] those who hated the Lord would have come cringing before Him, and their defeat would have lasted forever.
16 [God] would feed [Israel now] also with the finest of the wheat; and with honey out of the rock would I satisfy you.”
Exodus 3:8
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
“8 And I have come down to deliver them out of the hand and power of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a land good and large, a land flowing with milk and honey [a land of plenty]—to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.”
Now why would God promise to feed me with the finest wheat if he never intended me to eat any of it? Why did Jesus choose bread of all things to represent His Word and Himself in our daily lives if the wheat it is made from is harmful to me? If eating sweetened foods was a sin and drinking milk was unnatural to my body, why would He bring me into a land flowing with sweet honey and milk? Before jumping onto one of these latest phases and crazes, I am learning to consult God’s Word on the matter.
There are those who say that fruit is now bad because it is full of sugar and that nuts are bad because they have the wrong kind of fat… I can say with confidence that God has given me the fruit of the trees as food so I can eat them with thanksgiving and praise Him for making them so delightful to my tasted buds.
This is simply my own testimony. A little glimpse of my own personal experiences with God. I have found that we cannot live by or act on the “rhema” (Word of God revealed to another with unction and understanding and ability to apply it and live by it) of another person. God must reveal it to our own hearts with the verses that our hearts and mind can embrace and with that anointing to believe it and act on what we hear. So I am NOT sharing these things to condemn, judge or suggest that you should change your lifestyle. I share them to say that truly truly all things are possible with God and as we come to know Him more and hear Him better, He faithfully delivers us and empowers us to walk in greater and greater blessing and freedom. I share hopefully to bring hope that things can change and yes, that God’s Word is absolutely true “Yes and Amen in Christ”.
In short, this rhema revelation has been part of the core promises that God revealed to walk me out of the bondage I formerly lived in both to sleep deprivation and food intolerances. I pray you will increase in your knowing of God and your ability to hear Him and be blessed by His abundance and lavish generosity and favour.
With love in Christ.
Healing and Discipleship 