For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” Hebrews 10:37. Nearly 2000 years ago, John the Apostle wrote from the Island of Patmos, “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20
“We are living in the time of the end. The fast-fulfilling signs of the times declare that the coming of Christ is near at hand. The days in which we live are solemn and important. The Spirit of God is gradually but surely being withdrawn from the earth. Plagues and judgments are already falling upon the despisers of the grace of God. The calamities by land and sea, the unsettled state of society, the alarms of war, are portentous. They forecast approaching events of the greatest magnitude.” –Testimonies for The Church, vol. 9, p. 11
It will be a terrible time before the Lord’s return when God’s people will be afflicted and persecuted. It will be a time when we need to fully trust in God. The whole world will be against God’s faithful children. When earthly support fails, the Lord has promised to be there for us. When there seems no solution to our problems, God has all the answers. With God all things are possible.
Who shall be able to stand? “He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart.” Psalm 24:4
In preparation for the time of the end, we are not only to be aware that the end is near. We must, by faith, prepare to meet the trials of the future, by faithful performance of our duties today.
“We are in the day of God’s preparation. Let nothing be regarded as of sufficient worth to draw your minds from the work of preparing for the great day of Judgment. Get ready.” –Christian Education, p. 248. “Time is almost finished. Do you reflect the lovely image of Jesus as you should?” Then I was pointed to the earth and saw that there would have to be a getting ready among those who have of late embraced the third angel’s message. Said the angel, “Get ready, get ready, get ready.”– Early Writings, p. 64 (emphasis mine). It reads, “get ready.” It does not say, “sit back and wait.”
How do we prepare? We need spiritual preparation by reading our Bibles. We need emotional preparation by developing a close relationship with Jesus, who will see us through the crisis and assist in us with character development. We need intellectual preparation by opening our eyes to see the signs of the times fast fulling around us as prophesied in the Bible. We need practical preparation by sharing our faith with others. We need physical preparation by maintaining optimum health so that we can more effectively do our work for the Lord with a clear mind.
This article will focus on the physical preparation. Is health important in this day and age? Do we need strength if we need to flee to the mountains? Remember, we cannot buy or sell so we cannot purchase gasoline for our cars. We also need a clear brain for wisdom in order to be able to answer for our faith.
Today, most of our foods can be purchased at markets or grocery stores. They are filled with plenty of food to eat. Some people like to grow a bit of their own. It is not too difficult to be able to eat a healthy diet. But, what will you do for food when we reach the point in history when “no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name?” Revelation 13:17
What will you do? “Yield not to temptation, but confine yourself to the use of wholesome foods. You can train yourself to enjoy a healthful diet. The Lord helps those who seek to help themselves; but when men will not take special pains to follow out the mind and will of God, how can He work with them?” –Counsels on Diet and Foods, p. 35 (emphasis mine)
“The Lord has shown me repeatedly that it is contrary to the Bible to make any provision for our temporal wants in the time of trouble. I saw that if the saints had food laid up by them or in the field in the time of trouble, when sword, famine, and pestilence are in the land, it would be taken from them by violent hands and strangers would reap their fields. Then will be the time for us to trust wholly in God, and He will sustain us—our bread and water will be sure. . . . I saw that our bread and water will be sure at that time, and that we shall not lack or SUFFER HUNGER; for God is able to spread a table for us in the wilderness. If necessary He would send ravens to feed us, as He did to feed Elijah, or rain manna from heaven, as He did for the Israelites.” –Early Writings, p. 56 (emphasis mine)
Our food will not come from some stock pile that we have laid up. When we have no earthly support (as Peter when he tried to walk on water)—no means of purchasing or obtaining foods—we have to trust fully in God. This time is not too far distant in the future. Soon will come the time that you cannot buy or sell. Your children are hungry, you are starving, what will you do? The promise is given in the Early Writings quote that we will not “suffer hunger.” That “God is able to spread a table for us in the wilderness.” And only “if necessary send ravens to feed us.”
Why was Elijah fed by ravens? What was the condition of the countryside? How well were the farmer’s fields growing? All the plants had died from drought.
You may pray to God for food and He may tell you that He has prepared a banquet for you and will lead you to His banquet.
He may say, “here is My vegetable garden. Go help yourself and eat.”
The question I ask is, can you eat everything in that field? Is every plant edible?
Tobacco, Marijuana, Coffee, and Tea come from plants; not to mention narcotics such as opium. Are they healthy? How will you know what is good and what is poison? Do you think it is wise to do a little research now?
It would be wise for us to take time to study the plants that are growing wild in our area to learn what is edible and what is not. There are many plants we consider weeds that are actually quite healthy and edible. This is free food.
These are healthy foods to eat now also if we want to; we do not have to wait until the time of the end to eat them. It would be well for each person to study the plant life in their part of the world.
For example, Red Clover is very prevalent world wide. It is high in protein, so eat only a little. Large amounts can be harmful. Cooking helps counteract this effect
I read in one article years ago that, “Most weeds native to Southern California are edible. A lot of people think of weeds as undesirables that have no purpose but to ruin our lawns. But many of the wild plants that we see around us are edible, tasty, and highly nutritious. Free, organic vegetables growing right at our feet.”
The bark of many trees are edible, such as maple, cedar and birch. The birch tree produces a lot of sap in the spring which is an excellent beverage. You can drink it straight from the tree.
Many herbs grow wild, and you should recognize them, such as peppermint, catnip, nettle, and horsetail. They can be made into teas, however, some of their leaves may also be eaten in a salad.
In some plants, the entire plant is edible, from leaf, to flower, to root, such as the lily. There are many varieties of Lilies.
Chickweed is one of the most widespread and common weeds that you will find. Just another example of why there is no reason for people to go hungry when oftentimes there is food, organic as can be, right at our feet with no cost beyond the time it takes to gather it up.
The most popular use is simply as an addition to green salads. Harvest the plants when they are lush, green, and full, including the tender stems, buds, and flowers, right along with the leaves, as they are all edible.
Then the wild carrot (also known as Queen Anne’s Lace) the roots can be cooked as carrots (young plants– in their first year) or eaten raw.
A very common plant in North America is the plantain. It is an excellent source of Omega 3’s. The leaves can be bitter in older plants, but they are a healthy addition to any salad.
Mallow is a weed that grows plentifully in neglected areas. Mallows have been used throughout history as a survival food during times of crop failure or war. All parts of the mallow plant are edible—the leaves, the stems, the flowers, the seeds, and the roots. One of the most popular uses of mallows is as a salad green.
Daisy leaves can be eaten raw when young. Finely chopped spring shoots can also be added to salads, as can the root. The unopened buds can be marinated and cooked. The flowers can be used for tea.
I have many purslane growing wild in my vegetable garden every year and I am careful to allow them to grow. I do not pull them up as weeds. They taste a little like raw peas. Purslane will stand out as its thick red stalks will be laying on the ground. The noticeable stalks and the fleshy, small leaves like those of a succulent plant but Purslane is a hardy annual that produces seeds prolifically. Nutritionally, purslane is a powerhouse. The stems are high in vitamin C. The leaves contain a high concentration of Omega-3 fatty acids; five times more than spinach, ten times more than any lettuce and more than double than that of kale. In fact, it has and more Omega-3’s than any other leafy green ever analyzed. It has over four times the vitamin E of turnip leaves, and again, more Vitamin E than any other leafy green ever analyzed. It has glutathione and other antioxidants and about as much iron as spinach. It also has reasonable amounts of other nutrients as well as phytochemicals, like all leafy greens.
The entire dandelion plant can be eaten. Leaves, roots and unopened buds can be eaten raw. Dandelion is a very rich source of beta-carotene which we convert into vitamin A. It is also rich in vitamin C, fiber, potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, B complex vitamins, trace minerals, organic sodium, and even some vitamin D. Dandelion also contains protein, more than spinach. It has been eaten for thousands of years as a food and as a medicine to treat anemia, scurvy, skin problems, blood disorders, and depression.
A very troublesome weed in North America that is not native is the burdock. It was brought to North America from Europe originally a as food plant. It is still eaten in some parts of the world. The entire plant is useful. Burdock’s active ingredients are arcigen, calcium, chlorogenic acid, essential oil, flavonoids, iron, inulin, lactone, mucilage, polyacetylenes, potassium, resin, tannin, and taraxosterol. The seeds of the plant contain beneficial fatty acids. The oil from the seeds can be used as a diaphoretic, which leads to increased perspiration, which is essential in cleansing the body of toxins or harmful elements.
Burdock root is eaten as a vegetable in many places in the world. It can be used as a gentle laxative and help eradicate uric acid. The polyacetylenes are known to be effective antibacterials and antifungals. Burdock enhances the performance of many of the organs which purify the body and eliminate toxins or waste (like the kidneys, liver, colon, etc). This enhances overall health and helps correct disorders. However, you may not wish to eat the pesky “burrs” that often stick to your clothing. When they are dry they do not provide the same nutritional benefits.
The shoots, flower spikes and rhizomes (roots) are all edible in the cattail. The tender inner parts of the young shoots taste like celery. They can be eaten raw. The green flower spikes can be eaten like corn on the cob. They have ten times the starch of potatoes.
There are also many delicious berries, but we need to know which ones are safe and which ones will poison us.
It would be well to study the plants in your area to determine which are edible and which are poisonous and which parts of the plant are edible. In some plants only the berries and fruits edible, others have only the flowers or bark. With some the entire plant is edible.
Ancient Israel tempted God when they were in the wilderness by asking, “Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?” Psalm 78:19
He made a miracle of bringing water from a rock, “Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can He give bread also? can He provide flesh for His people?” Psalm 78:20
The clear answer is, “Yes.” With God all things are possible. He took good care of them. For 40 years He provided them with food and water. He will provide for you also in your time of need. He has a store house of food available for us.
“If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is Mine, and the fulness thereof. Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High. And call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.” Psalm 50:12, 14–15
“Let every human intelligence who professes the name of Christ testify: ‘The end of all things is at hand; prepare to meet thy God.’ Amos 4:12.” –The Colporteur Evangelist, p. 101
May God help us to prepare to meet our God by making every effort to attain the best possible health today. God will get you through the times of trouble and prepare you for heaven. With God all things are possible. Amen.
Wendy Eaton