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Counsels on Diet and Foods
Not to Be the Cause of a Time of Trouble
323. I saw that you had mistaken notions about afflicting your
bodies, depriving yourselves of nourishing food. These things lead
some of the church to think that God is surely with you, or you would
not deny self, and sacrifice thus. But I saw that none of these things will
make you more holy. The heathen do all this, but receive no reward
for it. A broken and contrite spirit before God is in His sight of great
price. I saw that your views concerning these things are erroneous,
and that you are looking at the church and watching them, noticing
little things, when your attention should be turned to your own soul’s
interest. God has not laid the burden of His flock upon you. You think
that the church is upon the background, because they cannot see things
as you do, and because they do not follow the same rigid course which
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you think you are required to pursue. I saw that you are deceived in
regard to your own duty and the duty of others. Some have gone to
extremes in regard to diet. They have taken a rigid course, and lived
so very plain that their health has suffered, disease has strengthened in
the system, and the temple of God has been weakened....
I saw that God does not require any one to take a course of such
rigid economy as to weaken or injure the temple of God. There are
duties and requirements in His word to humble the church and cause
them to afflict their souls, and there is no need of making crosses and
manufacturing duties to distress the body in order to cause humility.
All this is outside of the word of God.
The time of trouble is just before us; and then stern necessity will
require the people of God to deny self, and to eat merely enough to
sustain life; but God will prepare us for that time. In that fearful hour
our necessity will be God’s opportunity to impart His strengthening
power, and to sustain His people....
Those who labor with their hands must nourish their strength to
perform this labor, and those also who labor in word and doctrine must
nourish their strength; for Satan and his evil angels are warring against
them to tear down their strength. They should seek rest of body and
mind from wearing labor when they can, and should eat of nourishing,
strengthening food to build up their strength; for they will be obliged
to exercise all the strength they have. I saw that it does not glorify
God in the least for any of His people to make a time of trouble for