Daily Devotional, Year 2 – NOVEMBER 20 (When My Body Becomes My Torture Chamber, Part 2: “The Garden of Eden Remedy”)

By admin On February 9th, 2021

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Daily Devotional, Year 2 – NOVEMBER 20

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When My Body Becomes My Torture Chamber,

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Part 2:

“The Garden of Eden Remedy”

TO READ PART 1, CLICK HERE… NOVEMBER 9 (When My Body Becomes My Torture Chamber)

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“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed,

which is upon the face of all the earth,

and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed;

to you it shall be for meat…

And God saw every thing that He had made,

and, behold, it was very good.”

Genesis 1:29, 31

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In the beginning, God created a wonderful garden for mankind to live in. And in this garden was every good fruit and herb-bearing seed for food.

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Unfortunately, the first occupants were not content to stay with the diet provided for them.

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And of course, the rest is history.

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Eve – Tizian – Wikipedia – Public-domain

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THE AGE OF HEALTH ISSUES

Nowadays, in this age of mass manufacturing, every conceivable food is readily available for a relatively low price.

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And while in centuries past, the choices of food were very limited, this is no longer the case.

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And it seems as if the more choices of food and drink available in society, the greater are the health issues!

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Fast Foods in Supermarket – Wikimedia – Share-alike License 3.0

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SEEKING RELIEF FROM SUFFERING

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In Part 1 (click here to read), of this little series of devotionals on suffering, the truth of suffering with Christ was laid out.

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But in this Part 2, a remedy will be considered.

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Yes, for those of us who have various ailments, we shouldn’t think it wrong to attempt to lessen our suffering!

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And for those of us who would like to enlist the help of nature, God has already given us the model of a healthy environment: the Garden of Eden!

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Thomas Cole – Expulsion from Garden of Eden – 1828 – Wikimedia – US Public Domain

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SEEKING HELP FROM NATURE

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And since God pronounced that garden “very good”, then it might be worth our while to consider for a moment, the various elements of that garden, to see if maybe there is a way to bring those elements into our own little world, that we might enjoy an increased level of health.

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Fruit – Date Palm Tree – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons – Share-alike License

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AIR, EXERCISE, SUN, WATER, REST & COMMUNION

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Well, of course, the fresh air in that garden was one element which favors health.

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And the outdoor exercise from their occupation as gardeners is also another healthful element.

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And we shouldn’t overlook the sunshine and pure water which our first parents enjoyed.

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Let’s not forget their daily rest, both physical, and spiritual!

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Nor should we overlook the daily communion with their Creator!

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Now all these elements are already recognized by society as being beneficial to our health. Even prayer has been found to be beneficial to physical and mental health!

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Gardening – cropped image – Wikimedia – Public Domain

Man walking into sun – cropped and altered image – Wikipedia – Share-alike-Lic.

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BENEFITS OF GOOD DIET

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But let’s not forget about their original diet of the fruit and herb bearing seeds.

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Yes, society has embraced the truth that our diet has a big impact on our health!

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And more and more, society is moving closer to the idea that God’s original diet is the best diet for one’s health.

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And of course, God’s pronouncement of His creation as being, “very good”, also applied to the original diet which He gave to man…

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Fruit Stall in Barcelona Market by Daderot – cropped image – Wikipedia – share-alike license

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DEATH IS INEVITABLE

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Now there are many different schools of thought these days, concerning just what is the best diet for people.

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There are those who believe that an animal diet is best.

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And there are those who believe that it doesn’t really matter what a person eats!

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And let’s face it! Since the fall of Mankind back in the garden, the sentence of death has fallen on us all!

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And so, even by a healthful lifestyle, at best, we can only slow down our inevitable demise.

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Death will eventually come to us all.

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Calvary Cemetery Queens – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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MANY ARE THRIVING ON ORIGINAL DIET

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But if the original diet was pronounced as being, “very good”, by none other than the Creator Himself, then it might be worthwhile to consider the possibility that such a diet could be beneficial to our health.

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And at the very least, it might just help us to feel better.

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There is a large group today, that has embraced this original diet of fresh fruit and herbs. And they are claiming to have achieved a high level of health from that diet.

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Those who are “non-animal-product food enthusiasts” tag themselves as, “Vegans”, and those who subscribe to a diet of raw produce as, “Raw Vegans”.

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Fruit Cocktail – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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ONLY ONE DIRECTION TO GO?

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Well, the bottom line is, right now we are suffering from various ailments. And so, what do we have to lose by trying this diet? After all, many of us are presently suffering so intensely, that the only direction we can go is up!

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Now, there are some testimonial videos on YouTube. And there are some instructional videos about fruitarianism, as well.

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You are also encouraged to listen below, to this old audio testimony about curing his father’s cancer, by the early 20th Century pioneer and crusader of natural hygiene, fruitarianism, and fasting, Herbert Shelton…

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DO ALL TO GOD’S GLORY

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Now, there is no Bible commandment to go on a fruitarian diet.

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But there are Bible admonishments, such as this…“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” 1st Corinthians 10:31

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Yes, everything we do, should be for the glory of God! And our diet is no exception!

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Paul Shipwrecked – Acts 27:41-44 – www.lavistachurchofchrist.org – Public Domain

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WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?

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Now for those of us who are wanting to follow Jesus in the area of diet, the Bible gives many hints concerning His choice of diet. And we also know from Scripture that He was not a big eater, often fasting.

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And so, by combining all that the Bible has to say about diet, those who want to follow Jesus can develop a personal diet which more closely aligns with Jesus’ diet.

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And those who do imitate Christ in all that He did, will most likely find that Christ’s lifestyle, when on earth, was a very healthy lifestyle! And as with every aspect of Christ’s life, there may just be an uphill battle to fight, to finally achieve the victory over our appetite.

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But if we do not give up, then we will eventually win that victory!

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Question Mark – at a loss – Wikimedia – Share-alike license

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GOD MIGHT LEAVE A BLESSING!

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Well, to encapsulate what has been discussed in today’s devotional, one might simply say… “The closer we come to God’s original plan in the garden, the more conducive it will be for the health of the body, mind and soul!”

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And who knows if by so-doing, that God might just bless our efforts and give us the healing we are seeking!

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Women Walking at Sunset – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons License

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“Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles,

and thy princes eat in due season,

for strength, and not for drunkenness!”

Ecclesiastes 10:17

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to take care of my body and mind. Help me to recover my health, as far as possible. And by living according to the laws of nature, maybe You will bless this effort by healing my infirmities. Yet not mine, but Thy will be done…

Morning Prayers – Ebenezer Newman – Downard – 1860 – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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THE END

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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN

Info & pics of constellations on this site from Wikipedia & International Astronomical Union (click here)

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A SIGN IN HEAVEN

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“And there appeared a great wonder (sign) in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:” Revelation 12:1

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You see, God has placed in the heavens, the symbol of His bride, the Church-Faithful. In the summer night-sky, she appears as the woman-in-travail. This is the constellation, Ursa Major. And this article will introduce you to this amazing sign of Heaven, and what it means to you and to me.

DOUBLE ENTENDRE OF REVELATION 12 WOMAN

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“For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church: and He is the Savior of the body.” Ephesians 5:23

This page concerns the constellation which is commonly known as “The Big Dipper” and the “Great Bear”. It actually appears in the summer months as a woman travailing in child-birth. God has purposely given her no head. But God did this to present a very important concept.

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Yes, this woman represents the Church, the “Jerusalem above, which is free, and is the mother of us all” (see Galatians 4:26).

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You see, the single star she is giving birth to typifies the Christ child. Reading in Ephesians that Christ is the “head” of the Church, this single star is logically going to become her head. But how will that be accomplished?

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Ursa Major Star-Chart – Wikipedia – share-alike license

Ursa Major Star-Chart with woman drawn in by this website – Wikipedia – share-alike license

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WOMAN FLIPS AROUND IN WINTER

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Now, if this Woman-in-Travail were all that the Lord created in the heavens, it would be nothing short of amazing! But God, in His infinite power and majesty, has made this a great sign in Heaven, just as Revelation 12 proclaims. Because as the summer passes, this constellation begins to slowly flip around, until the stars representing her arms now become her legs. And the stars that once represented her legs now become her arms. And finally, it appears as the Fleeing Woman of Revelation 12. And at that point, this single little star in her womb-area, representing the Christ-child, now becomes her head! And of course, this reminds us of the passage… “And He (Christ) is the head of the body, the Church…” Colossians 1:18.

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