3rd John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.
In the above passage we find not merely a wish for good health, we also discover that there is a close relation between the spiritual and physical aspects of our being. Whatever affects the body also affects the mind, and vice versa, hence the reason why the passage links the prosperity of the soul with that of the body.
When a person is stressed out mentally, the effects can be seen in their person, for the mind is a part of the body, and whenever one part hurts the other is also adversely affected. The same is true when the body is in health. The mental, and spiritual aspects reap the benefits too.
A healthy body can enable the Christian to gain the victory, it can help with understanding deep truths, and it significantly alters one’s outlook on life, for there is a close symbiosis between the mind, body spiritual growth and development.
This is the reason why as soon as the Hebrews had crossed over Jordan God addressed the health issue because He knows that physical health is conducive to spiritual well-being and maturity. This does not mean that a sick saint cannot grow in grace, or must of necessity sin on account of his or her condition.
All it means is that you will always be better off with a healthy mind and body, for the one who is sick in the physical might not be able to serve in his or her fullest capacity, as the one who is in health. These are just the bare facts in the matter.
So, here they are on the banks of the Red Sea, after having crossed over the previous night on dry land, and as soon as they settle down, God addresses the issue of health, because it is a core issue that would affect His people for better or for worse, depending on the course of action taken. Let’s read:
Exodus 15: 4 Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.
5 The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.
6 Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.
26 And he said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and will do that which is right in his sight, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that heals thee.
When Hezekiah fell sick, he was restricted to his bed as he confronted the reality of dealing with physical issues. At that time, he became depressed, and the Bible says that he cried sore.
The same is true with old brother Job, who was up and about doing his daily chores, praying for his kids every day, and living life to the full, until he came down with sore boils from the crown of his head to the sole of his feet. The scripture is clear about what happened next.
In fact, Job did pretty well in fending off the first set of attacks from satan. After he had lost everything that was near, and dear to him, with the exception of his wife and three or four servants, he held fast to his integrity. But when the devil interfered with his physical, Job almost lost it. Let’s read:
Job 3:1 After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.
2 And Job spoke and said:
3 Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, there is a man child conceived.
4 Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.
5 Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.
24 For my sighing comes before I eat and my roaring is poured out like the waters.
25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
Obviously, he went into deep depression, because it is a sacred fact, that whatever affects the body, also affects the mind. The same is true when king David had sinned. His conscience began to greatly bother him, and as time went by David began to suffer from osteoporosis.
These things are written in the Bible so that a clear line could be drawn between cause and effect, as it pertains to the interactions between the spiritual, and the physical. Let none be deceived on this point for one will inevitably affect the other and vice versa as the Bible says. Let’s read:
Psalms 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputes not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
Psalms 31: 9 Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly.
10 For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength fails because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.
Question: Can serious stress cause osteoporosis?
The National Institutes of Health
Psychological Stress, a Risk Factor for Osteoporosis Psychological stress can have lasting impact on risk for development of comorbid disease, as well as significant impact on pre-existing diseases.
Chronic stress has been associated with obesity, atherosclerosis, lung pathologies, and diabetes. In regard to osteoporosis, U.S. military veterans diagnosed with PTSD have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis as do civilians with PTSD diagnosis.
Therefore, God will have us to understand that if the devil cannot get you on the spiritual, he will try to take you down on the physical, and if he cannot trip you up physically, he will try to stress you out to the point where your body will be adversely affected.
That is just the nature of the beast, for it is a tried, and true strategy he employs with every member of the human family. When satan realized he couldn’t take down Jesus in the spiritual, he went after the physical, by employing human agents to injure and afflict His body.
This is the reason why The Lord’s health care plan is strategically structured to address adverse factors relating to the mind first, and afterwards the issues that pertain to the health and wellbeing of the body in that specific order, because wherever your mind goes, the body is sure to follow. Let’s read:
Psalms 103:2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
3 Who forgives all thine iniquities; who heals all thy diseases;
4 Who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfies thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
This is what Jesus did when they brought a man sick with the palsy to Him to be healed. Jesus forgives the man first, because like David, any sin in his life could be a contributor to his physical condition.
Therefore, instead of fixing the physical first, Jesus addresses the problem of the mind, for the health of the mind is closely linked with the health of the body.
In our day many people have adopted the ideal diet given in Genesis, as more and more folks are coming to realize the great benefits thereof. Now, while that is good and worthy of commendation, God does not want anyone to forget the spiritual, because there is something such as a rebellious vegetarian.
Jesus addresses the problem in the mind, and then He goes on to heal the physical, and also to provide ongoing instruction on the issue of diets and foods, so that the work He is doing can be complemented by the choices folks make. That is what is written in Psalms 103. Let’s read:
Matthew 9:2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, wherefore think you evil in your hearts?
5 For which is easier, to say, your sins be forgiven you; or to say, arise, and walk?
6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.
7 And he arose, and departed to his house.
[ PRT May 25, 1899] Christ saw that the man was suffering with bodily disease, and He saw also that he was suffering with a sin-sick soul. He knew that in order to heal bodily maladies He must bring relief to the mind and cleanse the soul from sin. He needed health of soul before he could appreciate health of body.
Before we move on there is something that’s worthy of consideration as we seek a better knowledge of God’s Health care plan. God teaches us by repetition and wheresoever you see in the Bible that He seems to repeating Himself over and over again, it is just that He is trying to get our attention on some very important matter.
For instance, when out of all the 10 commandments only the 4th one begins with the word remember, He is saying to us that we are in danger of forgetting it, and for this reason He repeats Himself, over and over again.
Wherever possible and applicable, and at every turn or chance that God can get, He raises the number 7, as He endeavors to gain our attention on the matter of the 7th day Sabbath, so that we won’t have cause to forget. Thus, we could trace as with a pen of fire, the fact that The Lord teaches by repetition.
The ark rested on Mt. Ararat in the 7th month. When Abraham and Abimelech made a covenant, seven lambs were employed. Jacob served seven years for Rachel, he served seven years for Leah, and then he served an additional seven years after.
When Jacob met Esau on his return from Laban, he bowed seven times to the ground. In pharaoh’s dream he saw seven lean cows and seven fat ones, then he saw seven fat ears of corn and seven lean ears of corn. God promised that vengeance would be taken on anyone harming Cain, seven times over.
Joseph mourned for his father, Jacob for seven days. The Hebrews were commanded to eat unleavened bread for seven days. Manna fell for six days but on the seventh day there was none, a Hebrew servant was to be set free in the seventh year.
The Hebrews were told to march around Jericho for seven days. They were required to blow the trumpet for seven days. The earth was required to rest every seventh year. Naaman had to dip seven times in the muddy Jordan. The famine in Egypt was to last seven years, following seven years of plenty.
And in the last book of the Bible, you see the seven last plagues. By this time a rational thinking person would be scratching their head as they wonder why the number seven is being repeated so often.
It is because God does not want us to forget the 7th day Sabbath, thus, ever so often He reminds us. And we can go on and on and on. Therefore, it is without a doubt that God teaches us by repetition, because the number 7 is referenced over 500 times.
The same is true as we study God’s health care plan for, He goes to work, both in the Bible, and through His servants, the prophets, and He repeats Himself over, and over again. God comes to us from various angles and from different sources that would appeal to our intellect, as we reason from cause to effect.
He speaks to us through Ellen G. White, but since some folks may have an issue with her, He speaks to us through the World Health Organization, but since some people may have issues with that world body, He speaks to us through His providences.
When we take a close look at disease and its causes, and when we scrutinize the recommendations for prevention, the two main contributing factors in the physical realm that keep bubbling up to the surface. and figuring prominently, are diet and exercise.
The ideal diet given by God in the book of Genesis is of tremendous value in fostering great health, but since most of us already know that, we will focus on the issue of exercise, as being an important, and an indispensable factor in God’s health care plan.
When God created Adam and Eve, He gave to them the ideal diet that would promote longevity and life and He also gave them an exercise regimen so that they could keep their bones muscles and tissues in the very best condition. Thus, those two factors of diet and exercise are established in the beginning. Let’s read:
Genesis 1: 29 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 food.
Genesis 2: 15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
Again, when God took the Hebrews out of Egyptian bondage, He also did two critically important things to cultivate and maintain optimum health among His people. First, He modified their diet, and then He put them on an exercise regimen of walking, in addition to all the manual labor that was required to maintain their flocks and herds.
Exodus 16: 35 And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.
Fast forward to our day, and the same God is saying to us that these two issues of diet and exercise need our attention in order for good health to be realized. And to drive home the point, He resorts to the same ways and means that He uses in the Bible to bring our attention to the 7th day Sabbath.
He repeats Himself over and over again, hoping that someone will listen, so that folks would not have to suffer needlessly. In fact, He mentions the following Phrase no less than 1211 times so that through the process of repetition, persons will somehow get the message. Here it is: “Physical Exercise”
The following are just a few excerpts from the pen of inspiration, repeating the same thing again and again, because the physical and the spiritual aspects of our being can become an endangered species, if the timely instructions are not followed. Let’s read:
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 601] Without physical exercise, no one can have a sound constitution and vigorous health.
[LTMS 25, par 10] By using their physical powers, they would benefit the powers of the mind. They should exercise brain, bone, and muscle equally.
[Healthful Living pp 193] Each faculty of the mind, and each muscle has its distinctive office, and all require to be exercised in order to become properly developed and retain healthful vigor.
[Testimonies 3, pp 78] There is no exercise that can take the place of walking. By it the circulation of the blood is greatly improved.... Walking, in all cases where it is possible, is the best remedy for diseased bodies, because in this exercise all of the organs of the body are brought into use.
[Healthful Living, pp 130] Exercise will aid the work of digestion.
Healthful Living pp 131] By active exercise in the open air every day the liver, kidneys, and lungs also will be strengthened to perform their work.
[Healthful Living pp 132] Not only will the organs of the body be strengthened by exercise, but the mind also will acquire strength, and knowledge through the action of these organs.
[Healthful Living pp 132] The more we exercise, the better will be the circulation of the blood.
[Healthful Living pp 132] If physical exercise were combined with mental exertion, the blood would be quickened in its circulation, the action of the heart would be more perfect, impure matter would be thrown off, and new life and vigor would be experienced in every part of the body.
[Healthful Living pp 134] The studied habit of shunning the air and avoiding exercise, closes the pores, the little mouths through which the body breathes, making it impossible to throw off impurities through that channel.
The burden of labor is thrown upon the liver, lungs, kidneys, etc., and these internal organs are compelled to do the work of the skin.
[Healthful Living pp 135] 602. In some cases, want of exercise causes the muscles of the bowels to become enfeebled and shrunken, and these organs that have become enfeebled for want of use will be strengthened by exercise.
And then, to those folks who may tend to become discouraged after embarking on an exercise regimen because of the initial soreness, God writes directly to you, and says cheer up my brother or sister, for it is just the body making adjustments to what should have been done all along. Let’s read:
[Healthful Living pp 128] It is not good policy to give up the use of certain muscles because pain is felt when they are exercised. The pain is frequently caused by the effort of nature to give life and vigor to those parts that have become partially lifeless through inaction. The motion of these long disused muscles will cause pain, because nature is awakening them to life.
Its all there, written over and over again as The Lord gives to us the important information from different angles. And for those who may have a problem with Ellen White, God speaks through other sources like the World Health Organization hoping that someone somewhere will listen. Let’s read:
From The World Health Organization:
Children and adolescents from 5> years of age.
In children and adolescents, physical activity confers benefits for the following health outcomes: improved physical fitness (cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness), cardiometabolic health (blood pressure.
Bone health, cognitive outcomes (academic performance, executive function), mental health (reduced symptoms of depression).
It is recommended that children and adolescents should do at least an average of 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous-intensity, mostly aerobic, physical activity, across the week.
Vigorous-intensity aerobic activities, as well as those that strengthen muscle and bone, should be incorporated at least 3 days a week.
Adults from 18 to 64 years of age.
It is recommended that all adults should undertake regular physical activity. Adults should do at least 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity; or at least 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity.
Or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity throughout the week, for substantial health benefits.
Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities at moderate or greater intensity that involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week, as these provide additional health benefits.
Older adults from 65 and older. (to the grave where possible)
It is recommended that all older adults should undertake regular physical activity. Older adults should do at least 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity; or at least 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity.
Or, an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity throughout the week, for substantial health benefits.
Older adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities at moderate or greater intensity that involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week, as these provide additional health benefits.
As part of their weekly physical activity, older adults should do varied multicomponent physical activity that emphasizes functional balance and strength training at moderate or greater intensity, on 3 or more days a week, to enhance functional capacity and to prevent falls.
All of the above information was derived from the national institutes of health, and the World Health Organization. But the one that got me scratching my head is the study which found that exercise can also be beneficial to your eyes, by protecting you against AMD- Age Related macular Degeneration.
As we read it, the testimony about Moses at 120 years of age came to mind, in that his eyes were not dim neither was his natural force abated. It comes from The American Academy of Ophthalmology. Let’s read:
Researchers studied two groups of 6 mice: One group had access to an exercise wheel while the other group did not. After four weeks, the researchers treated the mouse eye with lasers to simulate the changes that occur in humans with age-related vision loss.
After this treatment, physically active mice had up to 45% less eye damage than nonactive mice. “The new study is exciting because it supports previous findings suggesting a link between exercise and prevention of AMD,” said ophthalmologist and Academy spokesperson J. Kevin McKinney, MD, MPH. Past studies in people have suggested that exercise may help prevent serious eye diseases such as AMD.
Now that we have learned, and now that The Lord has repeated Himself over and over again, the real question is: Why is The Lord’s health care plan even more important now, more than ever?
There are several important answers to the question and as we go through them, it should be a wake-up call to all who are able, but who might be sitting on the sidelines, or who might be waiting for New Years Day, a day that will never come!
[1] Without a doubt, there is a healthcare crisis that is looming on the horizon, in that systems and safety nets that persons have become accustomed to over the years are becoming out of reach for millions of people.
[2] The cost of health care premiums will only get more expensive with the passage of time. This is a statement that has been adjusted for inflation, for the premiums of bygone years are a nonstarter in the here and now.
[3] Prevention is better than cure. God prefers to do a miracle of healing only when it is necessary, hence the reason why He has given us the pertinent info to stave off, as much as possible, the health perils that are incidental to aging, according to conventional wisdom.
[4] Last, but not least, the time will come, sooner or later, when on account of the mark of the beast, the earthly health systems we’ve become accustomed to will be out of reach for persons who will not bow to the decree to worship the day of man’s choosing.
Economic sanctions will be leveled against all those who fear God, and keep His commandments, and because of the prohibition to buy or sell, individuals will have no recourse whatsoever, but to fall back on God’s Health Care Plan.
Here is where practice makes perfect and if you may be sitting on the fence or you may be in the valley of decision on this matter, the time is now, beginning tomorrow, to put into practice what God has been repeating to us over and over again.
Consult with your God-fearing doctor, on a regimen that’s right for you, start light and increase gradually and most of all, pray that God will grant you powers of consistency, so that you will be in it for the long haul, as a permanent lifestyle adaptation.
The race is not for the swift, and if you ask The lord to strengthen you in doing His revealed will, He will guide you with wisdom and discretion, for it is He who once said: “I am The Lord That heals thee.”
We therefore end with a passage of Scripture that will help us to cooperate with God on the matter of health, because the spiritual, and the physical are all inextricably intertwined, and thus, in order for God to bring His people to maturity one aspect shouldn’t be lacking, to the detriment of the other. Let’s read:
Isaiah 40:29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increases strength.
31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
God Bless!