In today’s world, when we hear the word “diet” used, it usually means someone is trying to lose weight. That isn’t what diet really means, though- a diet is simply a kind of regimen. It doesn’t even necessarily have to do with food. The Greek word, diaita, means “a way of life.”
If we work with the Greek meaning, which was one of the earliest uses of the word, we should then ask ourselves, “If I am going to diet as a way of life, what is the best diet I can choose?”
What comes to mind for me is not just a means of living, but is a (sort of) food, too, and I found it in the Bible:
Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
A diet, to be successful, has to become your “way of life”; it has to be done according to the rules, and even though every now and then we all “pig out” on something (that would be Chicken Wings, for me) we get back to the diet the next day.
My diet is God. Every day I read a chapter or two from His word. In fact, to make sure I have 10 minutes or so of uninterrupted peace and solitude, I keep my Bible in the bathroom. No one comes in and bothers me there, no one knocks on the door, it is quiet and serene; it is the only ‘throne room’ where no one asks for an audience.
I start at the beginning and go to the end, which for a nice Messianic Jewish boy such as myself, means from Genesis 1:1 to Revelations 22:21. I even look at the maps and glossary. Then, when I am done, I go back to the beginning and start all over.
What’s your diet? Are you eating Wonder bread, or the Bread of Life? Do you drink bottled water, or the Everlasting Water? Do you hunger for Burger King, or the Eternal King?
They say that to make something a habit, do it 21 times in a row. So, then, here is a challenge: read a chapter of the Bible for the next 21 days in a row. I strongly recommend you follow my example of leaving it in the bathroom, right there with the crossword puzzle and silly jokes books. Read just one chapter every day while you are sitting there with not much else to do. I don’t think it’s disrespectful to have a Bible in the bathroom. In fact, I think the most disrespectful thing we can do with our Bible is to leave it unread. So long as we are reading it, who cares where we store it?
There’s your challenge: who’s up to it?
While that may sound peaceful and full of mind boggling tranquility ………is it truly a proper place to commune with the Almighty? Now lets forget the, “I can talk to God anywhere”…place, and he doesn’t care where im at . Then why were the Hebrew priests commanded to go into the temple holy of holies to service with ELOHIM, If it doesn’t matter? I have to question the western cultured modern practices of worship in many areas but this one I can respectfully disagree with. Turn off the TV, radio, or sit in the car, take a walk in the woods, a park I understand its hard to find a quiet place like the sand dunes at Death Valley, which makes one feel like their on another planet. I’ve tried the bathroom and the smell interrupted my communiing. If you want a noise free environment on your next vacation hit the sand dunes at death valley national park, climb to the top of the dunes and sit. You can’t hear nothing!!!!!! wind, birds, animals, sirens , horns people, cars , trains, literally like being on another planet.
Kevin,
Thank you for your comments. I agree with you that if it was possible to find a totally quiet place to commune with God every day, such as the mountaintops of Death Valley, that would be awesome. I suspect the problem with that would be the daily commute to work. 🙂
As far as God requiring the priests to go into the Holy of Holies, the only one required (and the only one allowed) to do that was the High Priest (Cohen HaGadol), and that was only once a year on Yom Kippur (Lev. 16). He wasn’t required to go in there to commune, he was required to go in there to make atonement for the people by splashing the blood of the sin sacrifice on the Ark of the Covenant. Not only was this required solely on Yom Kippur, but if he entered (or anyone else entered) the Holy of Holies any other time, death would be the result. In fact, even when entering on Yom Kippur, there was still the threat of death if the High Priest hadn’t properly atoned for himself, first. There would be a rope tied to his ankle, so that if he did suffer death the others could pull his body out. The bells on the hem of the robe also were there for a purpose- they could be heard dinging when he davanned (bent over and rocked while praying) so the other priests knew he was still alive.
I’ll accept the challenge! That’s an awesome idea! And I’ll share it to see if others are willing to accept the challenge!
You GO!, Girl!!
Please ask anyone else who is willing to take this challenge to sound off here on the blog and let everyone know they are telling Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem to stand by….I want my daily diet of the Lord!.