Insight for Today
A Daily Devotional by Pastor Chuck Swindoll

Have you ever witnessed the ravages of a famine? If so, you can never forget the scene. The stench of death is sickening, frightening. Every living creature suffers due to the extreme scarcity of food. It's one of the most ancient of all plagues—and famines are still with us to this day.

Good nutrition begins with the right foods—prepared the right way. So, how about my encouraging you to cultivate that habit? I know, I know. You're too busy. Furthermore, this is the twenty-first century; very, very few take the time anymore to do their own cooking, right? Wrong.

Go back over those three priorities of spiritual nourishment we looked at yesterday: taking in God's Word, talking to Him in prayer, and spending a few extra minutes turning the truth over in your mind with plans to obey.

No one can deny the importance of nutrition. Our level of energy, our ability to cope with life's challenges, and even our mental attitude are directly linked to the proper intake of the right foods eaten regularly and in proper amounts.

Look again at what Jesus explained to His disciples during their last supper together: "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you."

We have been focusing on our need to prepare—whether it's our meals or our plans or our minds or our hearts—the emphasis has remained on us. Let's switch things around and look at the other side of preparation. Let's think about the Lord's preparation.

Having led several tours to the Holy Land, it's always interesting to hear people describe their favorite place as we come to the end of our journey. Usually, it's the same place. Most folks say the Sea of Galilee. There is something about its tranquil waters.

During His earthly sojourn, Jesus had many casual acquaintances but few intimate friends outside the circle of His twelve disciples. There were three friends, however, with whom He was very close. They lived in the village of Bethany and were from the same family.

Getting a big job done well starts with careful planning. Never forget that a good plan is an essential part of the preparation process. In the Bible there is an unforgettable story about planning, which isn't very well known. Its setting takes us far back in time—somewhere in the middle of the fifth century BC.

Anyone who gets serious about weight loss, a regular exercise program, and keeping the body strong and healthy soon realizes some significant changes must occur. They'll be tough to pull off. Like, grabbing a quick bite at some fast food drive-through is "out" and preparing meals at home is "in."

Some things are essential for survival. We must have air to breathe. We must have food to eat. And we must have water to drink. Matter of fact, water is second only to oxygen as essential to life. Life as we know it cannot exist without water.

When our four children were young, we often spent our vacation weeks each summer camping together. We owned one of those tent campers on wheels, which we pulled behind our car to various campsites. One of our favorite spots was located in a wooded state park.

Cheap substitutes are never better than the original. Something unhealthy usually happens when we try to replace the genuine with the artificial. This principle is true when it comes to our health . . . and it's especially true with what we drink. Nothing quenches our thirst like water.

"Give Me a drink." Jesus said that. He was thirsty after walking on a very long journey during the heat of the day. Around noon, He came to a well in a town named Sychar. Jacob's well was located in that ancient place. Tired and hot, Jesus sat down by that well.

The Bible is filled with references to water. From the creation account where we read that "the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters" (Genesis 1:2), all the way to the last chapter of Revelation where we're told of "a river of the water of life, clear as crystal."

It often helps to say what we have to say in as few words as possible. More often than not, we remember something a lot longer if it is brief and to the point. Maybe that's why the book of Proverbs remains such a help to so many—it's comprised of short, pithy statements that stick.

Like the races that were run by those heroes we looked at yesterday in the "hall of faith" of Hebrews chapter 11, our race isn't an easy one. Far from it. The first verse of Hebrews 12 urges us to "run with endurance the race that is set before us."

Just as there is a Hall of Fame for outstanding athletes who distinguished themselves in various sports in America, the Bible contains what we might call a "hall of faith." It is located in the eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews.

I read about a physician recently who got concerned that his work was becoming far too sedentary as he was getting older. He was gaining weight and feeling increasingly more sluggish. Realizing that his schedule didn't permit a lot of extra hours to spend at the local fitness club every day, he decided to change a few bad habits on his own.

One of my mentors used to make me smile when he explained why a football game reminded him of most churches: "Down on the field are 22 people playing their hearts out, who are desperately in need of rest . . . and they're surrounded by thousands of spectators doing nothing but watching."