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Trusting God more than our food choices

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December 30, 2016

After 400 years of bitter slavery to Egypt, God finally delivered his people. The Israelites found themselves on the other side of the Red Sea and in a desert. Three days later, God responded to their complaint for water by turning the bitter waters of Marah sweet. Fifty days into their journey, likely just running out of provisions, they complained again:

The whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger” (Exod. 16:2-3).

When presented with the choice of food or God in the desert, they chose food. Their assumption is what many in our day proclaim they believe through their practice: food, specifically good food, sustains us, not God. Food ensures long life, not God.

But despite the Israelite’s misplaced faith, God responds in mercy by raining down bread from heaven, six days a week, for 40 years: “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not’” (Exod. 16:4).

More insight is given in Deuteronomy 8:3, “[God] humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

Trusting God with our daily bread

Can you see the purposes of God in the above verse? Why did he let them be hungry? Why did he feed them with an unknown substance? He did it for this purpose: “To make them know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

The unfamiliarity of the food brought a need to trust the giver of the food. How could they know if it was safe to eat after sitting on the ground? If it was contaminated with disease from the livestock around them? If the ingredients in it would be good for their bodies? Would it poison them? Would it be filling enough? Their questions probably remained unanswered. Trusting in the person of God was all they had. He alone had the power over their lives, not their food.

Jesus, the True Israel, also found himself in a wilderness. He went without food longer than any doctor would recommend. And his hunger on the 41st day of fasting was met with Satan’s suggestion to make bread for himself. Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3 in response, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Jesus’ fasting in the wilderness is a reminder that obedience to God is more important and can be more life-giving than a healthy and well balanced diet. Listening to the Word of God will carry more physical sustenance than all the best foods in the world if God ordains it. God’s Word ought to be of higher value than food.

Making knowledge of the Word a priority

Our world is full of information about food. Never before have we been so bombarded with the knowledge of what is in our food and what we ought to eat or not eat. There are thousands of options to make up for the nutrients we might be missing from the foods we do eat. But choosing a knowledge of food over a knowledge of the Word of God is a mistake. In a world marred by the threat of cancer, new diseases and painful ailments, it is tempting to look to right eating choices to sustain us, but the Bible is clear that is not the answer. God alone gives and sustains life. Knowing and obeying his Word is far better for our overall health—spiritual, and even physical—than the most researched, healthy and natural diet plan.

I am not advocating irresponsible and gluttonous eating, but rather an elevation of the Word of God in a world full of information. Christian, if you spend more time growing in a knowledge of food and diet plans than growing in a knowledge of the word of God, something is wrong—that’s a red flag alerting you to misplaced trust. God alone preserves the health of our bodies. We would do well to remember the Israelites in the wilderness. They had an “unbalanced diet” for 40 years, made primarily of one food: manna. They did not have a healthy mix of all the food groups, but God sustained them nonetheless.

What does this mean today?

How can we apply this as we head into the new year? We can exercise the same faith. What daily bread has God provided for you today? There are times God may allow the privilege to purchase organic foods, and times when budget does not allow it. Sometimes we have the privilege to choose what we eat, other times we may be in another country eating foods we’re unsure of. Occasionally a friend may bring fast food from a restaurant we don’t prefer. Is our hope in avoiding the preservatives in food? Or is our hope in God? Is our hope in knowing exactly what is in our food? Or is it in the sovereignty of God and his provision for the day?

Whatever circumstances you face, put your hope in the Lord God Almighty. He alone holds your atoms together, keeps your heart beating, and your lungs steadily taking in oxygen. You do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. The question is, do you know his Word? Have you read every word of the scriptures? Why not make your next health goal to know and treasure all 66 books of his written Word?

This post originally appeared as part of a series on Kelly’s blog.

Kelly Needham

Kelly Needham writes a blog at kellyneedham.com. Kelly met her husband, Jimmy, at Texas A&M University in 2005. At the time, he wanted to be history teacher, and she was getting her finance degree. Within a year and a half, they had married, graduated and Jimmy released his first CD … Read More

Article 12: The Future of AI

We affirm that AI will continue to be developed in ways that we cannot currently imagine or understand, including AI that will far surpass many human abilities. God alone has the power to create life, and no future advancements in AI will usurp Him as the Creator of life. The church has a unique role in proclaiming human dignity for all and calling for the humane use of AI in all aspects of society.

We deny that AI will make us more or less human, or that AI will ever obtain a coequal level of worth, dignity, or value to image-bearers. Future advancements in AI will not ultimately fulfill our longings for a perfect world. While we are not able to comprehend or know the future, we do not fear what is to come because we know that God is omniscient and that nothing we create will be able to thwart His redemptive plan for creation or to supplant humanity as His image-bearers.

Genesis 1; Isaiah 42:8; Romans 1:20-21; 5:2; Ephesians 1:4-6; 2 Timothy 1:7-9; Revelation 5:9-10

Article 11: Public Policy

We affirm that the fundamental purposes of government are to protect human beings from harm, punish those who do evil, uphold civil liberties, and to commend those who do good. The public has a role in shaping and crafting policies concerning the use of AI in society, and these decisions should not be left to those who develop these technologies or to governments to set norms.

We deny that AI should be used by governments, corporations, or any entity to infringe upon God-given human rights. AI, even in a highly advanced state, should never be delegated the governing authority that has been granted by an all-sovereign God to human beings alone. 

Romans 13:1-7; Acts 10:35; 1 Peter 2:13-14

Article 10: War

We affirm that the use of AI in warfare should be governed by love of neighbor and the principles of just war. The use of AI may mitigate the loss of human life, provide greater protection of non-combatants, and inform better policymaking. Any lethal action conducted or substantially enabled by AI must employ 5 human oversight or review. All defense-related AI applications, such as underlying data and decision-making processes, must be subject to continual review by legitimate authorities. When these systems are deployed, human agents bear full moral responsibility for any actions taken by the system.

We deny that human agency or moral culpability in war can be delegated to AI. No nation or group has the right to use AI to carry out genocide, terrorism, torture, or other war crimes.

Genesis 4:10; Isaiah 1:16-17; Psalm 37:28; Matthew 5:44; 22:37-39; Romans 13:4

Article 9: Security

We affirm that AI has legitimate applications in policing, intelligence, surveillance, investigation, and other uses supporting the government’s responsibility to respect human rights, to protect and preserve human life, and to pursue justice in a flourishing society.

We deny that AI should be employed for safety and security applications in ways that seek to dehumanize, depersonalize, or harm our fellow human beings. We condemn the use of AI to suppress free expression or other basic human rights granted by God to all human beings.

Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-14

Article 8: Data & Privacy

We affirm that privacy and personal property are intertwined individual rights and choices that should not be violated by governments, corporations, nation-states, and other groups, even in the pursuit of the common good. While God knows all things, it is neither wise nor obligatory to have every detail of one’s life open to society.

We deny the manipulative and coercive uses of data and AI in ways that are inconsistent with the love of God and love of neighbor. Data collection practices should conform to ethical guidelines that uphold the dignity of all people. We further deny that consent, even informed consent, although requisite, is the only necessary ethical standard for the collection, manipulation, or exploitation of personal data—individually or in the aggregate. AI should not be employed in ways that distort truth through the use of generative applications. Data should not be mishandled, misused, or abused for sinful purposes to reinforce bias, strengthen the powerful, or demean the weak.

Exodus 20:15, Psalm 147:5; Isaiah 40:13-14; Matthew 10:16 Galatians 6:2; Hebrews 4:12-13; 1 John 1:7 

Article 7: Work

We affirm that work is part of God’s plan for human beings participating in the cultivation and stewardship of creation. The divine pattern is one of labor and rest in healthy proportion to each other. Our view of work should not be confined to commercial activity; it must also include the many ways that human beings serve each other through their efforts. AI can be used in ways that aid our work or allow us to make fuller use of our gifts. The church has a Spirit-empowered responsibility to help care for those who lose jobs and to encourage individuals, communities, employers, and governments to find ways to invest in the development of human beings and continue making vocational contributions to our lives together.

We deny that human worth and dignity is reducible to an individual’s economic contributions to society alone. Humanity should not use AI and other technological innovations as a reason to move toward lives of pure leisure even if greater social wealth creates such possibilities.

Genesis 1:27; 2:5; 2:15; Isaiah 65:21-24; Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-16

Article 6: Sexuality

We affirm the goodness of God’s design for human sexuality which prescribes the sexual union to be an exclusive relationship between a man and a woman in the lifelong covenant of marriage.

We deny that the pursuit of sexual pleasure is a justification for the development or use of AI, and we condemn the objectification of humans that results from employing AI for sexual purposes. AI should not intrude upon or substitute for the biblical expression of sexuality between a husband and wife according to God’s design for human marriage.

Genesis 1:26-29; 2:18-25; Matthew 5:27-30; 1 Thess 4:3-4

Article 5: Bias

We affirm that, as a tool created by humans, AI will be inherently subject to bias and that these biases must be accounted for, minimized, or removed through continual human oversight and discretion. AI should be designed and used in such ways that treat all human beings as having equal worth and dignity. AI should be utilized as a tool to identify and eliminate bias inherent in human decision-making.

We deny that AI should be designed or used in ways that violate the fundamental principle of human dignity for all people. Neither should AI be used in ways that reinforce or further any ideology or agenda, seeking to subjugate human autonomy under the power of the state.

Micah 6:8; John 13:34; Galatians 3:28-29; 5:13-14; Philippians 2:3-4; Romans 12:10

Article 4: Medicine

We affirm that AI-related advances in medical technologies are expressions of God’s common grace through and for people created in His image and that these advances will increase our capacity to provide enhanced medical diagnostics and therapeutic interventions as we seek to care for all people. These advances should be guided by basic principles of medical ethics, including beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice, which are all consistent with the biblical principle of loving our neighbor.

We deny that death and disease—effects of the Fall—can ultimately be eradicated apart from Jesus Christ. Utilitarian applications regarding healthcare distribution should not override the dignity of human life. Fur- 3 thermore, we reject the materialist and consequentialist worldview that understands medical applications of AI as a means of improving, changing, or completing human beings.

Matthew 5:45; John 11:25-26; 1 Corinthians 15:55-57; Galatians 6:2; Philippians 2:4

Article 3: Relationship of AI & Humanity

We affirm the use of AI to inform and aid human reasoning and moral decision-making because it is a tool that excels at processing data and making determinations, which often mimics or exceeds human ability. While AI excels in data-based computation, technology is incapable of possessing the capacity for moral agency or responsibility.

We deny that humans can or should cede our moral accountability or responsibilities to any form of AI that will ever be created. Only humanity will be judged by God on the basis of our actions and that of the tools we create. While technology can be created with a moral use in view, it is not a moral agent. Humans alone bear the responsibility for moral decision making.

Romans 2:6-8; Galatians 5:19-21; 2 Peter 1:5-8; 1 John 2:1

Article 2: AI as Technology

We affirm that the development of AI is a demonstration of the unique creative abilities of human beings. When AI is employed in accordance with God’s moral will, it is an example of man’s obedience to the divine command to steward creation and to honor Him. We believe in innovation for the glory of God, the sake of human flourishing, and the love of neighbor. While we acknowledge the reality of the Fall and its consequences on human nature and human innovation, technology can be used in society to uphold human dignity. As a part of our God-given creative nature, human beings should develop and harness technology in ways that lead to greater flourishing and the alleviation of human suffering.

We deny that the use of AI is morally neutral. It is not worthy of man’s hope, worship, or love. Since the Lord Jesus alone can atone for sin and reconcile humanity to its Creator, technology such as AI cannot fulfill humanity’s ultimate needs. We further deny the goodness and benefit of any application of AI that devalues or degrades the dignity and worth of another human being. 

Genesis 2:25; Exodus 20:3; 31:1-11; Proverbs 16:4; Matthew 22:37-40; Romans 3:23

Article 1: Image of God

We affirm that God created each human being in His image with intrinsic and equal worth, dignity, and moral agency, distinct from all creation, and that humanity’s creativity is intended to reflect God’s creative pattern.

We deny that any part of creation, including any form of technology, should ever be used to usurp or subvert the dominion and stewardship which has been entrusted solely to humanity by God; nor should technology be assigned a level of human identity, worth, dignity, or moral agency.

Genesis 1:26-28; 5:1-2; Isaiah 43:6-7; Jeremiah 1:5; John 13:34; Colossians 1:16; 3:10; Ephesians 4:24