There are many interesting sayings about the eating habits of the average American. One such saying is that we dig our graves with our teeth and another is that we are what we eat.

No doubt there is much truth in both of these sayings and it is unfortunate that in the land .of plenty we eat so poorly. When we say poorly we do not mean inexpensively because everyone who buys food knows it is anything but cheap. It seems that much of the food value is lost by the time the food we eat gets to us. One doctor recently told us that there is as much food value in the cardboard box that some of our breakfast cereals come in as in the cereal itself. This is another example of good money being spent for poor nutrition. If it is true that we are what we eat then we should be careful what we eat because it matters what we are. ”Now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be,” says John. Daniel recognized his responsibility to God and therefore ”purposed” in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank.” It took a great deal of courage to speak up and refuse to eat the meat of the king when Daniel was a slave but it was so important that he did assert himself.

Do we assert ourselves to stand up for what we believe? We certainly do not have the same trial Daniel had but we need wisdom to ”know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.” This applies to many more things than the food we eat, but if good nutrition is necessary for good health then we should make every effort to ”eat good so that we can live good.” When we are in poor health our service to God is certainly impaired. Of course we can serve God wherever we are, and we know of several who were taught the truth by a Christadelphian in the next bed in the hospital. If we are sick then we serve God as best we can but the point is we should do our utmost to be well so we can serve Him with vigor.

As important as our physical health is, our spiritual health is even more vital to our service of the Lord. Here again it is our diet that determines our health. If we are what we eat physically we are certainly what we eat spiritually. What are we feeding the spiritual man? Jesus said that his ”meat was to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” This must be our meat also if we are followers of Jesus. Where do we get the meat the world is missing? It is there for those who are willing to partake of it, for the word of God which is able to make us wise unto salvation, is available to everyone. How few choose to digest it. Jeremiah found the word of God to be delicious. He says ”Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, 0 LORD God of hosts.”

There is food all around us but most of it is as nourishing as a cardboard box. If we are wise we can choose those foods that give us real nutrition. There are books all around us that feed the mind garbage. If we are wise we will choose God’s word and meditate in His law day and night. Let us be wise and follow Jesus. He knew what to eat and Isaiah speaking of him said ”Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.”