The Benefits of Apples

      Apple season is just around the corner! It’s time to start dreaming of all the cobblers and cakes you can make — sounds yummy! I always loved it when my mom made apple dumplings! Oh, how I wish I had one right now! Well, okay, so it might be healthier to just eat an apple, but it doesn’t sound nearly as good, does it?

     There is a proverb (not biblical) that says, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” I looked up some of the benefits of apples and was amazed at the many good things eating them can accomplish. (1)They can protect from osteoporosis and can increase bone density; (2) they lower the possibility of asthma; (3) they can help prevent Alzheimer's; (4) they lower cholesterol; (5) they can prevent lung, breast, colon and liver cancers; (6) they can help manage diabetes; (7) they can help a person lose weight; (8) and they are a great source of vitamins, especially A and C. Who’s going be the first to the fridge to get an apple?

     Just as we must eat healthy things to maintain our physical bodies, we also have to take care to maintain our spiritual health. So I came up with another proverb! “A proverb a day keeps the devil at bay!” If you begin reading those 31 chapters in Proverbs, you will find so many instructions for daily living, instructions to help you fight the enemy. Living by these commands will help you have a healthy spiritual life. Let’s look at some of them!

Proverbs 3:1 “My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.”

Proverbs3:7 & 8 (NLT) “Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom; instead fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.”

Proverbs 15:1 “A soft answer turneth away wrath; but grievous words stir up anger.”

Proverbs 16:3, 6 & 7 “Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. By mercy and truth iniquity is purged; and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil. When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.”

Proverbs 16:24 “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul and health to the bones.”

     These are just a few of the 914 powerful proverbs God has given us. One of the instructions that was given about apples said to “be sure to chew the apple thoroughly so that you can get all the essential nutrients that they provide.” Today I encourage you to dig into the proverbs, “chew” them thoroughly, digest all of the wonderful things God has for you, and allow them to help you fight your daily spiritual battles. You will definitely be able to say, “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” Ps. 34:8