Are You Dying of Thirst?
"I will restore you to health and heal your wounds," declares the Lord. Jer. 30:17, NIV.
When you think of healing, probably the words "medicine," "hospitals," "physical therapy," and "doctor bills" come to mind. But in many cases the cure might be as close as your kitchen faucet—and it's basically free! Yes, I'm talking about water.
In 1905 Ellen White wrote: "In health and in sickness, pure water is one of Heaven's choicest blessings. Its proper use promotes health. It is the beverage which God provided to quench the thirst of animals and man. Drunk freely, it helps to supply the necessities of the system, and assists nature to resist disease" (Counsels on Diet and Foods, p. 419).
But the problem is, most of us aren't drinking it, or at least not enough of it. In fact, your body can be chronically dehydrated and yet you don't realize it because you don't feel thirsty.
If you do not drink at least six to eight glasses of water a day, give or take a little depending on your height and weight, you are dehydrated!
Remaining dehydrated for long periods of time introduces many physical ailments that would disappear with an adequate water intake. Your body needs water to prevent your blood from becoming concentrated, which then draws water from the cells around it. When this happens, you feel thirsty, and too many people satisfy this craving by drinking coffee, tea, or soft drinks. But these do not count as water. What your body needs is six to eight glasses of water per day if its various organs are to work efficiently.
Here's what Michael Peck said about the merits of drinking eight glasses of water a day: "When I first started this program I was overweight, with high blood pressure and suffering from asthma and allergies, which I have had since a small child. Today, I have my weight and blood pressure under control . . . and the program reduced the frequency of asthma and allergy-related problems to the point of practical nonexistence."
God wants to restore our health to us. Drink freely of the "medicine" He has provided, and see if it doesn't make a difference.
Don't wait to feel thirsty to drink water for your physical health, and drink God's Word for your spiritual health.
Used by permission of Health Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.
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