Step Into God's Love

Better is a dinner of vegetables where love is,
Than a fatted calf with hatred. Prov 15:17

Powerful stuff that love! In my younger years, a meal without meat, especially a dinner, would have been something to gripe about. I am much more likely to not have meat in my more advanced years, but an all vegetable meal is still not common. How 'bout all vegetables followed by a hot fudge sundae? That might be easier to take. Speaking to a man's stomach is one way to get his attention, and this proverb does exactly that.

Perhaps that is what Daniel knew when he asked that he and his three friends dine on vegetables and water in place of the king's delicacies. It may be that among the competition for the king's scraps there was hatred. And Daniel with God's wisdom in his heart knew that was no place for four young men to grow strong. For the 'good' stuff from the royal table there was striving and bitterness, while at Daniel's table there was the love of the Lord and the four friends for each other. Is it any wonder they grew strong and healthy?

I have heard sermons where one focused on the vegetable diet - and then said everyone must go this way. I have heard others say to avoid the spiced meats that were the royal fare - and everyone must go this way. This proverb seems to me a more likely explanation, and one that agrees with our Lord's statement that it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of it. Love dined with Daniel and his friends, and they grew strong and fair. The other table had mouth-watering food, but there was something there that stunted growth. We would like to blame the food, but it was the separation from the way of the world and a step into God's love that gave Daniel and his friends the advantage over the other young men.

The love of God is greater than any food; that's my theory and I'm sticking to it! :-)

Bucky