The Bible is packed full of health, healing and practical methods for not only daily living, but it's full of instruction to bring the Life that God has called us to.
Proverbs 3:5–8 ESV says "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones."
Let's dive into the subject of fearing and/or submitting to the Lord and the resulting promise of bringing health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
Fearing God is choosing him above and before everything else. Fearing God is submitting your will and desires to Him through love, reverence and free will, without harboring resentment or malice. As God’s love is perfect, he gives us a clear choice. He beckons us towards him, but he truly allows us the freedom to choose. Below is one of my favorite illustrations of this tremendous act of mercy - our gift of choice.
The Choice
Moses delivered this powerful message to the Israelites on the plains of Moab, east of the Jordan River, near Mount Nebo, as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. In Deuteronomy 30:15–20, he presented God's choice between life and blessings through obedience or death and curses through disobedience, urging Israel to choose life.
In Deuteronomy 30:15-16 , God tells us that he has set before us life and prosperity and death and adversity. To walk in life and prosperity, we are commanded to love the Lord our God, walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments, laws and statues that we can thrive and increase AND God can further bless us. Deut. 30:17-18 further announces if we choose otherwise, and are lured into worship or service of other gods, we shall perish (Jewish Publication Society translation).
The choice seems simple enough, but we don’t often fully choose God. We either step in with a toe, or lean into him while leaving our feet in the world.
Let us dig further into the aspect of “worship or service” of/to other gods. Just because you distance yourself from blatant satanism, tarot card readings or purchasing cheap love/hate spells at the local magic shop doesn’t mean you only truly worship Yahweh. An idol or god is defined as anything, dead or alive, that you have set in the ruling throne or your life that God Most High should be seated on.
In my own life, I have exalted my intelligence, my body, my confidence, my tastes and even my sexuality. In essence, I chose to exalt myself above God. I unknowingly made the choice to crown my desires, pleasures and self image as king and as a guiding north star to my every action and decision.
Every time I made a decision that literally opposed the word of God, I elevated something else when I should have been elevating God. If I didn’t go to church because I needed to catch up on rest for work - I elevated work and money. If I didn’t give my tithes because I needed to save up for a vacation - I elevated the fun and exploration. If I was promiscuous and didn’t keep my behind at home - I elevated myself, above the Most High.
Did you know that you can be a Christian, and still an worshipper of idols? Ouch.
Idolatry
Idolatry for the average Christian is often hidden, secret and pushed to the side like its normal or an acceptable circumstance of our society. I’m not only referring to hot topic items like pride, pornography and adultery, I’m also referring to capitol S-E-L-F. Often times the largest idol we should cast down before the Lord is SELF. Self pleasure, self gratification, self promotion, and even self protection… We put ourselves on the throne of our lives because we have not relinquished self control to Jesus. These acts show that we don’t trust him with Self, and our Self is the true ruling power of our lives.
Yes, it’s a scary thing to say Luke 22:42 KJV, “… not my will but thyne be done”. It’s a scary thing to devote oneself fully to the purpose of God. Because we have purposed in our hearts that true submission is both scary and threatening to our own desires, and therefore we don’t fully commit. We proclaim the good news and we love Him, but many of us still hold a little back for ourselves. We often please ourselves by overindulging in unhealth food, sex outside of marriage, spiritually toxic music and entertainment or simply non edifying or kingdom building activities. In these instances, we might not have personally carved a wooden image to kneel and worship, but we often kneel down to SELF, and not God.
Many believers today think the Bible is antiquated. They think its a book full of stories that represent people far far away in a time long past without truly accepting that the Bible is the LITERAL word of God. 2 Timothy 3:16 ESV says All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, reproof, correcting and training in righteousness.
With that said, 2 Timothy 3:16 will frame the major sections of this blog.
Hear this teaching
As illustrated above, in Deuteronomy 30:15, God presents through Moses, a covenantal choice to truly be in relationship with him. That relationship brings life, physical and spiritual prosperity, whereas its opposite brings death, adversity and destruction.
Deuteronomy 30:16 NRSV If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the LORD your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess.
From this passage you are commanded to:
Love the Lord your God
Walk in God’s ways
Keep God’s commandments
Keep God’s statutes (NIV/NLT translations say decrees)
Keep God’s rules (ESV) / laws NIV / regulations NLT / ordinances CSB & NET / judgements KJV
As a result of being obedient to these commandments, then you shall live and become numerous (health, wellness, fertility) and the LORD your God will bless you in the land (place, season or destination) that you are entering to possess.
When first reading this verse, most people combine numbers 3, 4 and 5 as if they all intend the same meaning. But God’s word is purposeful and intentional, so let us look deeper into the differences. Hebrew is a very complex and living language. We often need to research the original language to further highlight the intention and meaning behind words and scripture, vs taking the English translations at face value.
God’s instructions carry distinct but connected meanings: mitzvot emphasizes what He commands, chukkot highlights requirements He establishes, and mishpatim addresses how justice is carried out. Priestly abstinence during tabernacle service illustrates a statute, while freedom following specified physical abuse illustrates a judgment. All carry the responsibility to obey.
Deuteronomy 30:17- 18 then begins to identify the consequences of not choosing life.
'But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. ' Deut. 30:17-18 ESV.
God is teaching me to read and study, and he’s showing me that words, even words I believe I have full knowledge of, deserve further explanation. With this in mind, the word “perish” was highlighted in my heart…
To be transparent, there was a time in my life when I wasn’t following all of God’s mitzvot, chukkot, or mishpatim. I still had a 6-pack of abs, sexy curves, and a thriving business, but I was perishing. My spiritual vision was veiled. I couldn’t see or hear God clearly, and I was wasting away. Then a series of cascading events left me facing serious physical and mental challenges where I could barely walk and my strength literally left me. I prided myself on my intelligence, but during that time I couldn’t even think straight. I was perishing until all I had left was to fully rely on God. I know from personal experience what it means to perish.
The warning that God presents is only one side of the promise. If turning away from God carries consequences, what does He say about listening and following His instruction? Within this covenant, God addresses both the consequences of turning away and the blessings tied to obedience. His care reaches into the very lives and bodies of His people.
Deuteronomy 7:12, 15 “If you heed these ordinances by diligently observing them, the LORD your God will maintain with you the covenant loyalty that he swore to your ancestors; And the LORD will take away from you all sickness…"
God’s promises reach into every part of life: forgiveness, salvation, wisdom, peace, provision, protection, strength, healing, restoration, and eternal life. Each promise has its context, but together they reveal a God who cares deeply about our well-being. We have reason to trust Him with our whole lives.
Embrace this reproof
Continuing on in the theme of 2 Timothy 3:16. In love. My brother, my sister read this;
'Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea; ' Isaiah 48:17-18 ESV
Peace isn’t simply the absence of war or hardship, peace שָׁלוֹם, shalom, is the presence of all things required and needed. It is the presence of physical, spiritual and mental wholeness. Shalom is absence of lack, disease and torment. Shalom is total wellness and completeness, shalom is wholeness.
The Lord says He is the One “who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.” We hear profit and often think about money. But there is profit/benefit in health. There is profit in strength, nourishment, rest, and well-being. There is benefit in being physically capable of performing what your life requires of you. Why would we discount the importance of physical health when we discuss benefiting from the instruction of the God who created them?
Then comes the reproof: “Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments!” Hear the weight of that statement. God Most High is literally lamenting that his people, his royal priesthood, his treasured possession didn’t listen.
Where in your life have you caused God, Jesus to lament? What aspects of your health produced grief within The Lord? We pray for strength, but aren’t willing to invest time to develop it. We want health, but consistently feed our bodies pure poison. We ask for replenishment, but do we give ourselves or God the Sabbath that he commanded.
We cannot control every circumstance affecting our health, but we can be honest about the choices that are hurting our health. The food we put on our plates, the movement we make time for, and the demands we place on our bodies when it requires rest are all part of the equation. Bring those past decisions before the Lord and be willing to change.
Full clarity here. Not every disease, issue, lack or battle is a result of disobedience. John 9:1-3 clearly demonstrates a situation where the disciples and Jesus walked passed a man blind from birth, and the disciples asked Jesus who sinned (remember, sin is missing the mark/falling short whether intentional or unintentional). Jesus replied, “neither”. This man (grown adult who had spent his entire life 20, 30, 40+ years we aren’t sure) was born blind so that the works of God would be made manifest in him.
Maybe you’re struggling with infertility, autoimmune disease, severe allergens or you might not be aware of the root cause of your body’s physical dis-ease. This blog isn’t to say that you are facing these health hardships as a result of disobedience. Some things are a result of sin yes, but somethings can also be for the purpose of God receiving the glory. I’d encourage you to pray and ask God which is it. Ask Holy Spirit to illuminate to you the root cause of your struggle so that you can set things in place and begin to heal.
God identifies Himself as the One who teaches us for our benefit. If we believe His instruction is good, then we must be willing to let it change how we live.
Learn how to course correct
As I’m trusting The Lord will gently guide you in your specific reproof, here are some strategic steps you can take that will lead towards change. Let’s focus on “course correcting” as the word “correction” from our root scripture 2 Tim 3:16. In this scripture, the word “correction” identifies restoration to an upright or right state.
A pharisee asked Jesus what the greatest commandment is. Jesus responded:
'And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” ' Matthew 22:37-40 ESV.
This scripture is extremely powerful, descriptive and full of instruction! I’ll spare you from my rabbit hole into the original meanings and word interpretations of the above, but I will bring in what this scripture echoes. The Shema.
“Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad. שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָד”
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart (lēḇāḇ לֵבָב) and with all your soul (nefesh נֶפֶשׁ) and with all your might (mᵊ'ōḏ מְאֹד). And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9
The course correct is this, Love the lord, teach the Lord, talk about the Lord, identify yourself as a child and follower of God by your words, actions, how you dress and how you present yourself. In other words, be different from the world, be set apart from culture, be Holy for the lord your God is Holy! Leviticus 11:44, 11:45, 19:2, 20:26, I Peter 1:16.
Loving God wholly and truly doesn’t stop at our relationship with him, Jesus calls us to also elevate our relationship with his children, our brothers and sisters in Christ. Matthew 22:40 calls us to love our neighbors directly as we love ourselves. Examine yourself and ask the Holy Spirit where you can love better, fuller, deeper.
Apply this training
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable “prize”, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 ESV.
So, let’s get practical. What are you feeding your body? How are you replenishing it? Are you giving it opportunities to recover and become stronger? Your daily habits deserve your attention. Here are some places to begin.
Food: Give your body something it can use.
You don’t have to count every calorie to start making better choices. Start by asking an honest question: Am I putting nutrients into my body, or am I mostly filling up on crap? Your body needs nourishment to do its work. Give it protein, fiber, healthy fats, and a variety of vitamins and minerals. What you eat repeatedly matters far more than an occasional treat.
Eat until you are satisfied, rather than stuffed. Think roughly 75% full as a reminder to pause, not a measurement you have to master. Slow down. Put your fork down occasionally. Give yourself time to notice whether you are still hungry before reaching for more.
And please, season your food with more than just salt! Rotate garlic, ginger, rosemary, thyme, oregano, cinnamon, turmeric, and whatever else brings your kitchen to life. There are literally hundreds of options and combinations. Taste the rainbow through colorful foods: leafy greens, berries, carrots, peppers, purple cabbage. Fresh is wonderful; frozen vegetables and fruit belong at the table, too. Build meals with enough protein to support the muscle you are working to strengthen.
You can also consider intermittent fasting if it fits your health needs. Start simply by finishing dinner earlier and allowing an overnight break from eating. Some people choose to delay breakfast or omit dinner, but skipping a meal is optional. You still need adequate nourishment. Fasting needs individual guidance if you take blood-sugar-lowering medication, and it is not an appropriate self-directed strategy during pregnancy or with an eating-disorder history.
Drink: Water is king
Before you reach for the coffee, drink a glass of water. Put it beside the coffee maker tonight so the reminder is already waiting for you.
Pay attention to what you are drinking throughout the day. Sweet tea, soda, juice drinks, and elaborate coffees can make added sugar a regular companion. And yes, I’m going to say it: stop making Starbucks a daily bill! Replace that sugary coffee habit with something you make at home. Your wallet will thank you, and cutting back on added sugar gives your blood sugar less to contend with.
Simple vanilla-cinnamon coffee creamer
Shake together:
½ cup milk or unsweetened soy milk
½ cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Optional: 1–2 teaspoons maple syrup for the entire batch
Store in a clean, covered jar in the refrigerator, shake before pouring, and use within 4 days or the earliest ingredient expiration date. Start with 1–2 tablespoons in your coffee. Homemade gives you control over the sweetness; maple syrup still counts as added sugar.
If you barely drink water now, start with an extra glass and build consistency. You may have heard the suggestion to drink half your body weight in ounces. Treat that as a rough estimate, not a requirement to force down water. Your needs vary with activity, heat, food, and health conditions, and tea and other beverages contribute to hydration, too. If you have a prescribed fluid limit, follow it.
Enjoy unsweetened tea throughout the day if you like it. Choose caffeine-free options later in the day so your evening cup supports your rest.
Gut health: Feed your houseguests.
You have trillions of nonspiritual houseguests living inside your gut. Many of these microorganisms do valuable work: helping break down food, producing certain vitamins, supporting immune function, and turning fiber into compounds that nourish the cells lining your colon. Your gut plays a major role in your well-being. Feed it accordingly.
Start with a small serving of fermented food each day. If your digestion tolerates it, work toward including it 1–2 times a day. That is a practical habit to try, rather than a required medical dose. Think plain yogurt with breakfast, kefir in a smoothie, or a spoonful of refrigerated sauerkraut or kimchi alongside dinner.
Probiotics are live microorganisms with demonstrated health benefits. Prebiotics feed beneficial microorganisms already living in your gut. You want to think about both.
Foods that can provide live beneficial cultures: yogurt and kefir labeled with live cultures. Fermented vegetables can also supply live microbes, although not every fermented food contains proven probiotic strains.
Foods that provide prebiotic fibers: onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, bananas, oats, and beans.
Make the combination easy: yogurt with oats and banana, or a bean bowl with garlic, onions, and a small side of fermented vegetables. Increase fiber gradually so your gut has time to adjust.
Start with food. It brings nourishment alongside the microbes and fibers. A supplement may have a specific use, but it cannot supply everything a varied diet offers.
Rest: Put it on the calendar.
Sabbath matters. Whether your practice is Saturday or Sunday, make room to stop. Take a day to say NO to the world and YES to God.
This one is hard for me as a single mom. The needs do not disappear because I have decided to rest. There are still meals to make, a child to care for, and responsibilities waiting for my attention. But I can choose to honor God and my body within the life I actually have.
That might mean preparing a simple meal ahead of time, leaving the laundry unfolded, silencing work notifications, or refusing to turn the entire day into an errands marathon. It might look like worship, a quiet walk with my daughter, reading Scripture together, or accepting help so I can sit down.
Let some things remain unfinished. Give yourself permission to be present with God and the people you love. Then carry that respect for rest into your week by protecting your bedtime and making room for recovery.
Exercise: Go do something physical.
Of course, this is my favorite. GO LIFT WEIGHTS!
Aim for 2–3 strength sessions each week, allowing recovery between sessions that train the same muscles. Work your legs, hips, back, chest, shoulders, arms, and core. Choose resistance that makes the last few repetitions challenging while you can still control the movement. Heavy is relative to your current strength. Build from where you are.
You should have to work for it. But fight for good form through muscular effort, not through sharp pain or an injured joint. Increase the challenge as your body becomes capable.
And get your cardio in. Walk briskly. Run if you can and enjoy it. Dance, swim, cycle, or climb stairs. The adult guideline is at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, alongside strength training on at least 2 days. You can break those minutes into manageable pieces.
Get outside. Park farther away when it is safe. Take a walk after dinner. Put your workouts on the calendar. Make movement intentional.
You do not need to overhaul your entire life by Monday. Choose a few practices and repeat them: water before coffee, a nourishing meal, a walk, 2 strength sessions, protected time for rest. Build from there.
You have an assignment to live out. Give your body consistent care as you prepare to fulfill it. Wellness is Worship.
