Some “through the bible” thoughts from Daniel 1.
When Daniel and his friends are taken in to exile, they are quickly selected for education and training, to work in the king’s palace. Rather than the usually fare of food and wine, Daniel asks that they be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. In a place far from his home and family, he has little control over his destiny. This small request is a way of sidestepping food that may have been an offering to an idol. It is one small corner of his life where he can still have control and still be faithful.
After ten days, Daniel and his friends are in better health than any of their classmates. They also surpass the wisdom and abilities of all the other magicians and enchanters in the kingdom. In a sense, they become better Babylonians than the Babylonians!
In this account, a physical habit has a spiritual benefit. Their choice of foods becomes a way of being faithful, of demonstrating their trust as they obey the statutes of God.
So I’m wondering: What other physical habits benefit someone spiritually?
- Closing our eyes to pray. Shutting out visual distractions heightens our other senses, helping us focus on both speaking and listening. The folding of hands brings us fully into that moment.
- Walking in the morning heightens my awareness of the creation around me, which reveals God’s glory and power.
- Some will fast to escape the habitual shopping for, preparing, eating, and cleaning up after meals to focus on prayer.
- When I enter a church that burns incense, the aroma seems to say, “This is a sacred space.” The smell of candles and wine proclaims that reality, too.
- Some of my best devotional thoughts have come to mind while walking or running.
Those are just a few things that come to mind. As people with both bodies and souls, our physical and spiritual selves are vitally connected.
Next time: how does spirituality affect our physical lives?
Waite for it... 