1 Samuel 8:4-9; 19 Finally the leaders of Israel met in Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. They told him that since his retirement things hadn’t been the same, for his sons were not good men. “Give us a king like all the other nations have,” they pleaded. Samuel was terribly upset and went to the Lord for advice. “Do as they say,” the Lord replied, “for I am the one they are rejecting, not you---they don’t want me to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually forsaken me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. Do as they ask, but warn them about what it will be like to have a king!”. . . . But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said, “for we want to be like the nations around us. He will govern us and lead us to battle.” [Living Bible translation]
Summary
Samuel was God’s prophet---God’s messenger to the people. But the people did not want a messenger from God or GOD’s leadership. They wanted a king. At first Samuel was upset. Samuel had spent his entire “career” as a prophet trying to help the Israelites serve GOD and now it seemed that all of his work trying to steer the Israelites in the right direction was for nothing! Despite all that GOD had done, the Israelites wanted a king to lead them instead of GOD.
From a logical standpoint the Israelite’s decision was total irrational: Here were a people that had the opportunity to be governed by GOD---- WHO IS ALL POWERFUL, ALL KNOWING, EVERYWHERE and DIVINELY GOOD and FAIR by GOD’s very nature, yet the Israelites said “NO.” HE was not what they wanted!
From a physical and emotional point of view the Israelite’s decision was also detrimental to their health and emotional well-being. GOD (WHO IS ALL KNOWING), actually told the Israelites that if they ‘got what they wanted,’ it would lead to disastrous consequences. GOD warned them that the king could cause them to “shed bitter tears” (See verse 18.). GOD told them that the king would not be fair, that he would conscript them into military service, treat them like slaves and even force their daughters to serve him. Despite being forewarned, the Israelites would not be dissuaded. They wanted what they wanted.
From a spiritual point of view, the decision to choose a human king over GOD was going in the exact opposite direction the people needed to go. Instead of getting closer to GOD they moved further away. They insulted HIM. They ignored GOD. They rejected HIM. Their sole focus was on what they wanted.
1 Samuel 8:1-19 is a classic example of a people making a decision detrimental to their own physical, emotional and spiritual health----choosing what they wanted instead of choosing what they needed.
NUTRITIONAL NEEDS
Although eating is one of the most common of human experiences in the world, people may give little thought to what their nutritional needs are. Most people just eat what they want. When addressing what a person’s nutritional needs are, a number of variables may be considered. Some of those variables include the person’s: age, level of physical activity, physical health (e.g., whether a doctor has diagnosed a disease or condition) and emotional health.
Older Adults
In “Older Adults: 9 Nutrients You May Be Missing,” Peter Jaret, in an WebMD article reviewed by Arefa Cassoobhoy, MD, MPH, list 9 key nutrients that are essential for older adults:
- Vitamin B12
B12 is important in creating red blood cells, DNA and for maintain healthy nerve function.
How to hit the mark: Some of the foods that are rich in B12 include fortified soy milk products, fish (on non-raw foods days) sea vegetables, such as kelp and seaweed. - Folate/Folic Acid
Folic Acid is one of the B Vitamins. Too little of this essential B vitamin is known for contributing to anemia. According to WebMD, sometimes medications (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis ) or other conditions (e.g. requiring dialysis, having severe kidney problems) may cause a folic acid deficiency.
How to hit the mark: Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. Citrus fruits, like oranges, are rich in folic acid. Other sources of folic acid include papaya, grapes, bananas, strawberries, spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus and tomatoes. - Calcium
Calcium is important for building and maintaining strong bones. If you don’t get enough calcium, your body will leach it out of your bones, increasing the risk of brittle bones and fractures.
How to hit the mark: Food rich in calcium include: Oranges and tangerines, kiwi, dried apricots, prunes, dates, dried figs, collards, okra, almonds, raisins, tofu. - Vitamin D
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, maintain bone density and prevent osteoporosis (degeneration of joint cartilage and the underlying bone, most common from middle age onward. It causes pain and stiffness, especially in the hip, knee, and thumb joints). Vitamin D is also linked with protecting the body against some chronic diseases, including cancer, Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. Vitamin D deficiency has also been liked to increased risk of falling in older adults.
How to hit the mark: Many foods are fortified with Vitamin D. These include Vitamin D fortified orange juice, soymilks, and other milks (e.g. almond milk, rice milk etc.). Also some yogurts are also fortified with Vitamin D. Please read the labels carefully to make sure they say Vitamin D fortified. Some mushrooms also contain Vitamin D, such as Portabella mushrooms, Chanterelle mushrooms. Some mushrooms may mention Vitamin D on their packaging, so again reach the package labels carefully.
To Be Continued Next Week…..
See, “Older Adults: 9 Nutrients You May Be Missing,” by Peter Jaret, www.webmd.com.
SHOPPING FOR FOOD
When shopping for food, try to shop for foods you need rather than for foods you just want. Make a list of what you need before you go shopping. Review your list at home to determine whether you are buying what you need nutritionally. When you enter a store pray that you not just buy what strikes your fancy in the store. Read labels, review your shopping list and your cart. Put what you need in one section of the cart and anything you just want in the other. Before “checking out,” determine what changes you need to make.
The Israelites are confronted with the same choices that we are confronted with today:
- Will we do what is best for our spiritual, physical and emotional health, even though we have been forewarned of the consequences or will we ignore what we need and just do what we want?
- Will we get closer to GOD--believing that HE IS ALL POWERFUL, GOOD and EVERYWHERE and HE is able do wondrous things in our lives---even in our times of weakness--- when we turn to HIM or will we just give in to our wants and ignore GOD.
Today, pray about it. Ask GOD to reveal to you what you need. Let this Wednesday (or any day or every day) be a day of reflection---- WANTS or NEEDS?
Let’s study the WORD of GOD and let GOD decide “before checking out.” And BE BLESSED!
