And put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite. Proverbs 23:2

When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite. Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food. 1-3

Verse Reflections:  Well… okee dokee then.  Imagine for a moment you can afford any food you want to eat, you can indulge in any delicacy, order any food from any country, any menu.  Heaven.  That is what rulers, kings, queens, multi-millionaires can do.  How easy would it be to fall into the trap of indulging in all the delicacies that are bad for you but taste so good.  Our flesh screams for these foods because we have trained our bodies to enjoy that brief rush of dopamine.  The problem is that high crashes and we hit the wall hard and it hurts emotionally, physically.  Hell.  God is clear in what He is telling us here.  Observe what is in the foods, observe the healthiness in the foods given to you.  Don’t crave the delicacies because often they are empty calories.  He is pretty blunt here when He says “put a knife to your throat”.  He is just telling us to go ahead and commit suicide.  That is serious! (you think?).  He is leaving no room for interpretation or excuses.  We are committing suicide when we eat the wrong foods, it is just that black and white.  We are ruining our bodies, we are putting a knife to our throats.  We are destroying what God has given us.  God simply wants what is best for us.  He wants us to be healthy.  We can so easily fall into the trap of indulging into the empty calorie delicacies that are often served.  This verse is black and white.  The world tells us in 2/3 of the grocery store shelves, commercials on tv, recipes in magazines with gorgeous tempting photos.  And yet, how amazing do grilled meats, vegetables and fruits taste?  Don’t do it.  Put a knife to your throat (not literally)… put a knife to the unhealthy eating habits and cut them off.  You will not be tempted by the delicacies.

Prayer: Thank You Father for being so blunt.  It is so easy for me to allow for excuses, to tell myself You don’t really care what I eat.   But that is simply not true.  You are extremely blunt here telling me to “put a knife to my throat” if I am tempted by the empty calorie delicacies.  It actually helps me to know You feel so strongly about this.  I am tempted.  I do crave the delicacies.  I know You love me more than I love myself so I know that this commandment is to keep me healthy.  I know sugar, wine, processed carbs all spike my sugar and crash it down while preventing my body from getting the nutrients it needs.  Thank You for this blunt reminder to stay away from these temptations.  I love You and I appreciate this verse.  You are clear.  You are firm.  I need that.