“But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine...” (Dan.1:8)
I needed eggs. No need for a list. Why then, were these items in my cart at checkout? Mini banana creme pie, 4 bear claws, 2 gal. Butter Pecan ice cream, 2 loaves nut bread, sm. bag orange slices candy, 2 bananas, 3 donuts, 1 bag pecan halves. Oh, and eggs. The clerk asked if I had just finished lunch, assuming I suppose that I was shopping for dessert. True, it was humorous and clearly not a well-balanced selection of foods, but in my defense, my impromptu plan was to put most of these items in the freezer or pantry to have available for breakfast or after dinner treats.
My shopping spree causes me to ask, “What do I turn to when hungry, tempted or bored?” This is especially important when it comes to spiritual food. Choices are wide-ranging: Junk food equates with overindulgence in tv, movies and fiction, sports etc. When applied to the scriptures, fruits make me think of productivity (Jn. 15). Nuts are healthy because they represent nuggets that need to be cracked open, sometimes requiring persistent attempts in order to uncover the precious kernel of truth in what may be difficult passages. Eating our veggies may be challenging because the taste may not suit us, but biblically speaking, vegetables might be compared to suffering. While we do not welcome it, often it makes us stronger (II Cor. 12: 9-11); (II Cor.1:4).
Psalm 34: 8 invites us to “Taste and see that the Lord is good...” and Jesus invites us to feast on Him: “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who believes in me will never go hungry...” (Jn,6:35). The balance we all need is found in dining on Him and with Him when we prioritize spending daily time in the Word rather than filling up on empty calories of so-called royal food and wine the world offers.