2003-01-26 - Passages about Food

As I was enjoying a scrumptious meal earlier today, I realized that God's word has a lot to say about food. As usual on Saturday nights, we will present verses with no commentary, instead allowing the Bible to "speak for itself."

Deuteronomy 8:15-16 (NRSV) Who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid wasteland with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good.

Matthew 6:25-33 (NRSV) Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Psalm 147:9 (NRSV) He gives to the animals their food, and to the young ravens when they cry.

Matt 25: 34-40 (NRSV) Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food.... Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?'... And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’

Proverbs 23:21 (NRSV) for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe them with rags.

Jan

 jan@cfdevotionals.org
http://www.cfdevotionals.org