Longing for Water

I just finished reading Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, & the Miracle that Set Them Free, by Hector Tobar.  It's the true story of the 33 miners who survived a terrible experience of being trapped deep in a mine, after the ramp leading out to the surface was blocked by crashing rock, on Aug. 5, 2010.  All 33 miners survived the huge crash but were imprisoned in the mountain, unable to escape.  They carefully rationed a small amount of water and food, to last for 17 days.  When the bottled water ran out, they were forced to drain water from vehicles in the mine, water tinted with oil.  They all lost drastic amounts of weight, until a few were described as skin and bones.

Their hope gradually faded; several wrote farewell letters to loved ones, letters that would probably never be found.  The food ran out, along with any hope.  They were all weak; some were sick.  Then they began hearing noises which they later recognized as drills coming down from the surface, renewing their hope to live.  A small drill broke through; one miner began hitting the drill bit with a heavy hammer, to signal that they were alive.  A note to the surface told the rescuers that all 33 were still alive deep down in the dark.  The first thing the rescuers sent down in a tube, was clean bottled water, so that the 33 would no longer have to drink the tainted water from their vehicles.

(The 33 movie scheduled to come out on Nov. 13, is based on this book - Deep Down Dark by Tobar.)

In Psalm 63:1-2, David wrote, “You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary
 and beheld your power and your glory.”

David wrote this while he was a fugitive in the desert.  He remembered the sanctuary of the temple in Jerusalem and longed for God’s presence that he’d experienced in the past.  Listen to the deep yearning in his prayer: “Earnestly I SEEK you;
 I THIRST for you, my whole being LONGS for you, 
in a dry and parched land 
where there is no water.”

We have an empty place in our hearts, that can only be satisfied by God.  We thirst to love and be loved by others.  Many try to fill this void in unhealthy or sinful ways.  The only way to truly satisfy this void is through God’s living water.  Jesus said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.  Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”

This life has difficulties and hard times; it can seem like traveling throught a desert after running out of water.  We get tired, thirsty, and lonely.  We miss conversations with close friends.  There may no one to help us or encourage us.  When we are weak or lonely, this life can like a dry, weary land where there is no water. 

But we don’t need to thirst.  God can quench our thirst, fill our hearts, and fill us with his Living Water.  Remember what God has done for you in the past.  Close your eyes and imagine standing in the sanctuary before the throne of God, with flowing fountains at each side.

If you do not have a church home, you are welcome to attend First Presbyterian Church in Deport, where we are blessed with the Water of Life each Sunday, in worship at 11:30 am.  The next time, you pour a glass of water, pause to thank the One who gives the Water of Life.

The Food Stamp Challenge

“Dad, we’re almost out of food here.  Will we have enough”

Last year, Ivan Herman wanted to know firsthand: what was it like to worry about food and to struggle to feed your family?  To find out, Herman, his wife Susan and their 2 children ate the way they would if they were earning just $23,000 a year and surviving on food stamps.  Their church has a food pantry, and Herman wondered, how do all those families get by on the other days of the month? 

One evening last year, he brought up the idea of the “Food Stamp Challenge: with his wife, as a way of getting his family to think differently about food.  The Food Stamp Challenge is a commitment encouraged by some, of intentionally eating on a food stamp budget for a set period of time, usually a week or a month.  His family agreed to do it for 40 days,

They cleared out their pantry, basically starting from scratch.  The Herman family, Ivan, Susan, and their 2 children, ages 7 and 3, lived on a food budget of $396 per month.  That was the amount they calculated they’d be eligible for in good stamps if one adult worked full-time, 40 hours per week earning $11.50 per hour.  In this imaginary scenario, the other parent was assumed to be caring for the children and an elderly parent who lives nearby.  In 2012, the federal poverty level for a family of four was $23,050.

For the Herman family, this budget meant:

            -Spending about $1.10 per person per meal.

            -Eating, most of the time, no meat or fish.

            -Cooking from scratch, which tends to be more economical.

-Emptying the refrigerator before daring to go back to the grocery store.  If they    didn’t go to the store, they couldn’t spend more money.

So what did they learn?  He discovered that people on food stamps can’t afford much fresh fruit.  When school let out for spring break, his daughter stayed home, and her not eating 5 meals at school, meant squeezing 5 more meals into the budget.  One day, he snatched a banana from the top of a trash can.  It was sitting on top of a bed of dry paper, and the peel was clean and unbroken.  He put it on the front seat of his car, to save for later in the day.

People from their church approached Herman and confided in a hushed voice, that “I was on food stamps once too.”  One day, a friend walked up to Susan in the church parking lot and handed over a paper bag of food, saying, “Take it.”  Inside was some food and a note.  The food would stretch the meager food money, the friend wrote.  “In my life I have found it easy to be on the giving end of help.  It is hard to ask for help from a friend or family member.  But when your family is in need you have to push aside such pride and be willing to take a helping hand.  So this is our gift to you, some food for thought.”

Managing the MOOD for FOOD

Gluttony (overeating) is the 3^rd deadly sin.

A few years ago, I heard of an ancient Old Testament manuscript.  Some believed that it’d been lost for many yrs.   It could be part of Gen. 1.  You know, Gen. 1:1 “In the beginning, G created the heavens & the earth.  Then it goes on to tell u what G did Day 1, Day 2, Day 3.  G created trees, vegetation, seed-bearing plants, & it’s possible the next part was lost: 

God populated the earth w/ broccoli, cauliflours, spinach, & vegetables of all kinds,

                                                      so that man & woman might live long & healthy lives. 

& Satan created McDonalds.  & McDonalds brought forth the 99-cent cheeseburger,  & Satan said to the man, you want fries w/ that?  & the man: Supersize them.  & the man gained pounds. 

God created health-food yogurt, so that woman might keep her figure that man found so fair. 

Satan froze the yogurt & brought forth chocolate, nuts, & bright candies to put on yogurt. 

& woman gained pounds.

God said: Try my crispy, fresh salad. 

& Satan brought creamy dressing, bacon bits, & shredded cheese.

                                             There was ice cream for dessert, & woman gained more pounds.

God said: I’ve sent u heart-healthy vegetables & olive oil in which to cook them.

Satan brought forth chicken-fried steak so big that it needed its own platter.

                                                         & man gained pounds, & his cholesterol went sky-high.

God brought forth running shoes, & man resolved to lose those extra pounds.

Satan brought forth remote-control cable TV,

   so man would not have to toil to change channel bet ESPN & ESPN2.  & man gained pounds.

God said: Devil, you’re running up the score.

God brought forth potato, a vegetable naturally w/ low-fat & high nutrition.

& Satan sliced the starchy center, & deep-fat-fried them & created potato chips,

                                                                                                            & created sour dips,

Man clutched his remote-control & ate the potato chips loaded w/ cholesterol.

& Satan saw & said, It is GOOD.

Man went into cardiac arrest.  God saw, & created triple bypass surgery.

That’s how the missing text ends.  Wow, there may be more truth in there than we realize. 

Managing the Mood for Food.   -7 Deadly Sins – gluttony. 

Message overview:             MANAGING THE MOOD FOR FOOD                           7-7-13

-dieting - Have you ever gone on a diet of any kind?

               When your diet ended, did you gain the weight back, & maybe some more?

So how much are we supposed to care about our bodies?

God wants us to RESPECT & PROTECT our body…

 

The New Testament Greeks associated one’s emotions & heart w/ the stomach, or gut.

Old KJV: bowels of passion

-idea: The stomach is the seat of your emotions; it controls a lot in your life.

           If your stomach feels good, the rest of your life feels good.

Philippians 3: 18-19

               For, as I have often told you before & now tell you again even with tears,

              many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.

              Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach,

              & their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.

For some people, their PHYSICAL APPETITES -food, drink, lust, drugs - are so strong that they live to fulfill their passions; their physical appetite becomes their primary drive or motivation in life.  Thus they make a FALSE GOD out of their STOMACH, out of that feel-good in one's stomach.  So they live by the philosophy - if it feels good, do it.

So we need to learn to bring our appetites, mainly food, under God's control.

6 KEYS TO CONTROL YOUR APPETITE, instead of letting your appetite control you.

Key 1:  COMMIT YOURSELF TO GLORIFYING GOD WITH YOUR BODY.

My body & your body matter to God.  The freedom from letting our appetites control us is found in YIELDING OURSELVES to the Lord Jesus.  When you surrender to Christ, the Holy Spirit comes INSIDE your body, and at that point, there's a transfer of ownership of your body.

Corinthians 6: 19-20  Do u not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you,

         whom you have received from God?

         You are not your own; you were bought at a price.   Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Some say, I can do whatever I want with MY body.  But if you're trusting Christ for salvation, God says, No, your body belongs to me, because my Son paid for your body with his life on the cross.

Key 2: IDENTIFY HOLES IN YOUR HEART THAT YOU MAY BE TRYING TO FILL WITH FOOD.   & ask GOD to reveal that to You.

 We've been created w/ 2 empty, needing-to-be-filled holes - the stomach & the heart.

The holes in our heart include hidden hurts, resentments, anxieties, fears, etc.  

When we go through a tough time, we tend to eat whatever makes us feel better.  That's using food as a Feel-Better-Drug.  Others may use alcohol, tobacco, lust, or drugs, but the result is the same - trying to dull the pain or fill the hole in our heart.

-An acronym called S.A.L.T. to help identify hidden issues of the heart:

Overeating can be a response to STRESS in your life.  When we're feeling stressed out, it'd be better to  talk to God about our stress, and plan a strategy for dealing with it.  But we usually to the fridge or cupboard & find something that tastes good to eat instead.  We use food as a drug for our stress.

Matthew 11:28  Jesus said,

       Come to me, all you who are weary & burdened, & I will give you rest for your soul.

Overeating can also be a response to ANGER.   -A in SALT acronym.  We may be mad at people around us, ourselves, or even God.  Ephesians 4:31  Get rid of all bitterness & rage & anger, brawling & slander, along with every form of malice.  Ask yourself if you're using food to deal with anger or hostility in your life.

Overeating can be a response to LONELINESS.  I Peter 5:7  Cast all your cares upon Him because He cares for you.  It doesn't say: Cast food on your plate.  Cast your cares upon Him.

Overeating can be a response to TIREDNESS.  We all get tired.  I know I eat sometimes because I'm tired.  It's easy to turn to food whether we're physically tired or emotionally tired.  A better response would be to take a break, take a nap, talk to God, read, or depending on the time  of day, go to bed.

S.A.L.T .. =  stress, anger, loneliness, tiredness.

These are not ALL the responses to holes in our hearts. There are more. 

We need to identify the holes in our hearts, that we’re trying to fill with food.

-Ask:  How much of our eating occurs because of legitimate stomach hunger?

        & how much eating occurs because of heart hunger & food being a drug for it?

Key 3: ASK G TO HELP U IDENTIFY THE DIFF HUNGER ISSUES & NOT CONFUSE THEM.  A simple secret: Eat ONLY when our stomach is hungry.

Am I eating out of hunger?  Or am I eating for another reason?

If a restaurant brings too much food to eat, take some home.  No one is forcing you to eat everything.  Like many, I was taught to clean my plate when I was growing up.  But there's NO rule that you must clean your plate.  But there is a rule that says: you'll be healthier if you stop eating when your stomach is satisfied.  Ask yourself: Am I eating out of hunger?  Or am I eating for another reason?  Can I stop eating when my stomach says it's full?

We're not talking about giving up your favorite foods, & you don't have to eat seaweed.  :)
But we do need to bring our eating under the Holy Spirit's control.

Key 4: FOCUS ON LETTING GOD CHANGE YOUR BEHAVIOR, NOT ON LOSING WEIGHT.  Diets work only in the short term, because being on a diet is just making the food behave. 

We change the food behavior, but not how we behave.  Very few diets deal with WHY we eat.

Changing our behavior takes God’s power to bring our stomach into line with His will & His control.  Only God can set us free to enjoy food as we're designed, without destroying our bodies in the process, or drugging the issues.

Key 5: CONSIDER THE PRACTICE OF FASTING IN UR LIFESTYLE.

If you have diabetes, hypoglycemia, pregnant, etc, check with your dr. or nurse.

Fasting can release amazing spiritual power in your life.  When you use fasting to seek God’s will on any issues or big decisions you’re facing, it’s a powerful tool.  Fasting is a way to bring all your appetites under G’s control. 

One way to start fasting, would be to fast for 1 meal/week.  Instead of eating, use that time to drink water & pray & seek God for a closer relationship.  Ask God to reveal anything about any appetites in my life that are not under His control, & what needs to be done about it.  Just drink water & juice when you fast.  Fasting is a powerful way to let God help bring one’s appetites under control. 

Key 6: CONTEND FOR G’s PROMISE OF HEALTH. 

Here’s a great prayer to pray for your health:

3 John 1:2:  Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health

                   & that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

Pray this for yourself and give a copy of it to someone you care about.

Much of this is adapted from a message by Pastor Cal Rychener.