Eat only what GOD has prepared.

Daniel 1:15
15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.

Israel was captured. The whole nation of God’s people was now subject to King Nebuchadnezzar. Everything that he said, they had to do. He was their new master. He even renamed them to show his power. King Nebuchadnezzar even had control over the food that they would eat. But there were four men of God who stood by their Lord and would not subject themselves to eating the diet of the king. We know them as Belteshazzar (Daniel), Shadrach (Hananiah), Meshach (Mishael), and Abednego (Azariah).

These four men were willing to risk punishment over eating the king’s diet. The food the king was providing wasn’t clean for the Israelites to eat. So they asked to have only vegetables. They requested to eat only the natural food that God had created. They wouldn’t eat the prepared, unclean foods, and they refused to drink the fermented wines. This frightened the guards because the men would be weakened and frail, and the king would know that his orders weren’t being upheld. But that’s not what happened. Instead, the four men gained weight. They gained muscle. They gained knowledge, wisdom, and the ability to interpret dreams. They ended up looking healthier and better nourished than all of the other men!!

So what of it? In today’s world there are lots of different doctrines (foods) being served by lots of different people. Man, in his own wisdom, can teach how to control your temper, your budget, and your career path. Man can teach out of his own knowledge how to have a better marriage or be a good parent. Only God, however, can do it for you! When you consume the doctrine of man, the how-to’s of society, the work is your responsibility. There are even churches that will proclaim these same teachings. But, when you consume the doctrine of Jesus Christ the work is completed. “IT IS FINISHED!” He’s the Bread of Life, the Manna from Heaven. He is the nourishment for the soul that will bring peace, joy, and happiness. He will bring it to you because His work is final and our works are futile.

Belteshazzar and his three friends only ate the vegetables that were raw and straight from God’s creation. They didn’t eat the food that had been prepared and handled by man. And as a result, without work or toil, they were stronger, smarter, and blessed more than all of the other men! We need to do the same. We need to eat the Word of God. We need to eat it unadulterated by man, by religion, and by society. We need to consume Jesus Christ, our passover lamb, and let Him do the work inside us. In the end, we will receive the strength, knowledge, and blessings through Him, to fill our lives with happiness!

It’s not at all about the words that you preach; it’s all about the Word that you teach, Jesus Christ!