The Birth Of Created To Nourish
Plants were created to nourish us. To be well-nourished, we must eat daily, except for the occasional fast. The choices we make in the foods we eat will significantly impact the quality and quantity of the life we lead. Created to Nourish delves into the divine master plan embedded in the composition and chemistry of the plants that provide strength for our daily tasks. There is a Divine Designer.
It all started at the beginning of this world. Around 6,000 years ago, my loving God designed and fashioned a world of beauty and diversity. He meticulously created plants with perfect combinations of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals to nourish all living creations. These plants were His gift to all life. He subsequently fashioned humans in His likeness to inhabit and enjoy what He had crafted. Humans were meant to be nourished by the plants of His creation. God designed our bodies to align with His plan, blessing us with the ability to think, reason, make choices, communicate, and prepare for eternity.
Our great Creator provided a blueprint—the Bible. As the world’s first dietician, He designed the first meal plan for the first two people. In today’s language, we would call it a plant-based diet. Each plant was designed with a unique combination of the components needed to empower the newly created beings. Additionally, God provided water (Genesis 1:3) and sunlight (Genesis 1:16) for optimal health. Recognizing our tendency to overwork, He created and sanctified a day of rest on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2). The first breath of life (Genesis 2:7) gave life to Adam, and our continued breathing sustains life today. Our bodies were designed to move and function more effectively when we exercise (Genesis 2:15). God encourages us to trust Him and to show that trust through obedience to His laws and principles (Genesis 2:17). With these few verses, God provided a comprehensive manual on how our bodies were designed to function.
God’s perfect plan was marred by humanity’s choice in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve opted for food that seemed right, looked right, and tasted right to them but was not in their blueprint. God intervened, presenting a plan for redemption—a theological plan for salvation. The rest of the Bible is a story of people and nations choosing to go against the divine blueprint and the sorrow and pain that came from this choice. Throughout the story, God continues to call people back to the blueprint and life He designed.
God is passionate about our physical, spiritual, and emotional health (3 John 1:2). As our Creator He understands that compromised physical health affects spiritual and emotional well-being. God designed our bodies to heal and repair damages, utilizing plants to facilitate the process.
Food is both necessary and addictive, presenting a challenge that confronts us daily. The same enemy who disguised himself in the tree in the Garden of Eden still tempts us today, especially in the grocery store, luring us with smells, tastes, and old habits. Food has the power to make us sick and obese but also to fuel our bodies and minds for productive activities. For those looking to make a change, there is hope, there is help, and there is a Helper attuned to your thoughts about choosing better foods.
Habits define our actions without much thought. Picture a well-trodden animal path through a grassy area. If animals stop walking on the path, the grass will gradually grow back. You can form new habits, and old habits fade with time. Prayer to the Creator can accelerate this process. You can establish new, healthier habits, and that’s good news! God, speaking through Paul, emphasizes in 1 Corinthians 3:16 & 17 that our bodies are temples of God. In the same book (chapter 6:19 & 20), we learn that God wants to place the Holy Spirit in our minds because we’ve been purchased with a price—the death of Jesus to pay for our sins. Our bodies are God’s property. Making excellent food choices glorifies our Maker and often rewards us with a healthy body, less disease, more energy, and increased joy. God created plants as a gift for us.
Created to Nourish has been written to encourage you to adopt a plant-based diet and accept the gift of plants from your Creator. It equips you with tools to make it a rewarding and feasible lifestyle. I also provide you with resources to connect with a community that is choosing plant-based foods and reaping the rewards. Welcome to an exciting adventure en route to a lifestyle nourished by God’s gifts—powerful plants!