Wed.’s Devo - Eating Drinking

Read Ro. 14:17-23 The kingdom of God is not full of natural stimulation, but spiritual stimulation. In this life we do natural things like eating and drinking to fill ourselves with nutrition and joy but in the kingdom of God we are satisfied by filling ourselves with things like righteousness, peace, and joy. If we choose the spiritual things above the natural then God is pleased and so is man. We are to look for things that please both God and our fellow Christians. There was a big controversy in the church about eating meat. The Jews had strict laws about eating clean meat - not meat that may have been offered to idols. So to keep from maybe eating some of this idol meat, it became a practice not to eat any meat. That way you were sure you didn’t eat something unclean. Paul was trying to explain to them that it wasn’t the meat that was clean or unclean - it was their hearts. If they could eat meat and not feel defiled then they were free to eat it. If they couldn’t, then it was considered unclean. If they did’t believe it was a sin to eat meat and they were with someone who does, then they need to not eat it either in preference to them. In our society, I relate that to social drinking. Some Christians don’t think there is anything wrong with drinking beer and an occasional mixed drink. According to the Bible, it is not wrong… only if you get drunk. I, personally, don’t drink anything mainly because I was raised that way and it would defile my conscience to drink. It does offend me when people who know this chose to drink in front of me, but it doesn’t cause me to stumble as far as wanting to drink. I just have to deal with the offense. I truly know that it is ok with God for them to drink, it just doesn’t change my conviction for myself. If your faith allows you to drink then verse 22 says you are to keep that to yourself and enjoy your freedom. Verse 23 is more for me. It says that if I decided to try a drink just to test my convictions, it would be a sin because I would not be doing it with a clean conscience. Lord, today as we reflect back on 9-11 help us to remember to pray for our nation to turn back to you.