"As for Me and My House…"

At one time or another all of us must make important, life decisions. The basis upon which these decisions is made is, of course, a matter of personal discretion- one’s own business, so to speak. The success of our decisions is only as good as our perceptions which, if not based upon a spiritually sound foundation, will contribute to our demise rather than to our prosperity. It is wisdom, then, to consider who we are in terms of our Maker and realize that our lives are really not our own. The life we experience is a gift and charge from our Heavenly Father to fulfill His purposes in the earth. Whereas this understanding may not settle well with all, it is nevertheless true. Therefore it behooves each of us to seek the answers we need for our daily lives from our Maker and Father, YHVH.

We read in the old testament of the children of Israel and their struggles through the wilderness. It seems as though they were always complaining and disputing among themselves over life matters both large and small. Controversy appeared to be the course of the day. It is no wonder then that YHVH had to raise up leaders to maintain righteous law and order among His people. Take Joshua, for example. After Moses was taken back into the heavens, Joshua inherited the charge as Israel’s leader. This position was no small task. Undoubtably YHVH had prepared Joshua for this role over the course of many years. No great leader is born overnight, and certainly the responsibilities facing one like Joshua were both sobering and challenging.

If one remembers anything about Joshua and his life story, it might be that he was a man who sought after the will of YHVH. In any day or age, this pursuit is a rare occurrence, given the fact that most people, including the Israelites of old, live in a state of rebellion against YHVH. However, Joshua was a man who sought YHVH and desired to serve Him. This truth is evident when, in his farewell address before death, declared, "As for me and my house, we will serve YHVH." This simple and succinct statement sums up one man’s successful, triumphant life experience and proves that 1) there is great merit in serving YHVH and 2) there is great power in declaring one’s faith in the Almighty.

That Joshua lived a long time ago should not preclude our perceptions of him and his commitment to serving YHVH. Would it were that many in this day had half the faith and courage of Joshua. Too many lack the commitment and boldness to take a stand for what is righteous. This includes diet. Many people are not willing to look their lifestyle in the face and see where they need to make positive changes. The old ways fit too comfortably, even though the old ways produce sickness and pain. Like the Israelites of old, YHVH’s people are slow to change, loving the leeks and garlics of Egypt. Truly times- like people- haven’t changed much.

When we consider that we live in a modern age, it is surprising that as a society our progress has been toward decadence than true prosperity. Our quality of life has been compromised to such a point that we have nearly extinguished ourselves. It is surprising and perhaps the mercy of YHVH that man is not already extinct. How have we arrived at this point, one might ask? We have been eating ourselves into the grave both naturally and spiritually.

Yahshua told us that ‘man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word which proceeds out of the mouth of YHVH’, yet how many understand this truth much less practice it? Spiritually we have served many idols and naturally we have not done much better.

We have lived our lives believing and practicing man’s teachings rather than YHVH’s. In doing so, our desires have become carnal and sensual, and our tastes have proved it. For instance, take our appetites. Pull up to the average American dinner table, and it is a feast for sore eyes. The spread of cooked, processed, and adulterated food is a sad commentary of man’s abuse for himself and YHVH’s creation. That we have become a people who have desecrated YHVH’s natural creation is a shameful reality. For the sake of commercial enterprise, we have manufactured, processed, and engineered YHVH’s natural fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. into unrecognizable and undigestible forms and call it ‘food.’. Should we be surprised then that we are a sick nation? Is it any wonder that there is a health care crisis in America? What is the solution to this crisis- more pills? Politicians, along with medical professionals and drug manufacturers, give us remedies upon our demand. Will prescription drugs heal us? Will Social Security with increased Medical coverage cure our ills? No! Until we understand that diet has a direct relation to health and that we need to abide by the word of YHVH and eat according to His plan, there will be no solution for America’s host of physical ills.

According to Genesis 1:29, YHVH’s natural fruits, vegetables, and seeds (nuts) are His gift to His creation for their nourishment. Live food is man’s meat or food. The life energy of our cells can only be sustained by live substance, and the plants of the field and the fruit of the trees were created to feed our bodies. No other foods will properly nourish us. It is that simple. Scripture says we are fearfully and wonderfully made, but we have not understood the implication or application of this fact. We have failed to see the real need of our physical bodies in terms of proper nutrition. We have been ignorant as well as disobedient in practical application of YHVH’s word.

It is clear, then, that we need obey YHVH and change if we want happy, healthy lives. Our future belongs to us. We can live and live well or we can be sick and die. The choice is up to us. When confronted with this choice, it never ceases to amaze me how many people would rather be sick and die than be healthy and happy. I wish I had a list of all the excuses people have made for deciding not to change their way of living. The excuses, both shocking and sad, are a profound commentary on the condition of YHVH’s people. Why people refuse His blessings has always puzzled me. Perhaps for most the truth is lost in simplicity, however, I am thankful for the mercy and grace of my Heavenly Father who continues to reveal the truth of His Word to me so that I can live. When I was shown the truth of His live food diet over four years ago, I was glad to embrace it as a way of life. Whereas many refuse the simple truths of our Father, I am determined to follow Him no matter what others might think, say, or do. Like Joshua of old, I wil say, ‘As for me and my house, I will serve YHVH.’