Take an Internal Shower
Sunday, February 25, 2024
Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:13, 14, NIV.
Are you drinking enough water? Forcing the body to work with limited amounts of fluid is a bit like trying to wash the dinner dishes in a cupful of water. When you don't drink enough water, the body must excrete its wastes in a more concentrated form, causing body odor, bad breath, and unpleasant-smelling urine.
Our bodies are about 70 percent water, and our kidneys process more than 47 gallons of it in a day. Without it we'd look more wrinkled than California raisins!
But why is this colorless, tasteless, calorie- and salt-free substance that has no nutritional value so absolutely necessary?
The answer lies in the physiological workings of the body. Water to the body is like oil to a car engine. It's the magic lubricant that makes everything else work. A drink of water is like an internal shower and is exactly what the body needs to carry out all its life processes.
But won't other beverages, such as fruit juice or diet soda, do the job? Beverages other than water pose special problems for the body. Many have calories that must be digested like food. Such calories may produce extra fat storage, swings in the blood sugar, and slowed digestion. Sugar in beverages requires extra water for metabolism. Most beverages increase acid secretion in the stomach. And many sodas contain phosphorus, a chemical that can help deplete the body's calcium supplies, contributing to brittle bones.
Drinking water eliminates these problems. It has no extra calories to slow down digestion or add unwanted fat. No irritants to stress the sensitive linings of the digestive tract, and fewer chemicals to threaten delicate body machinery.
How much do you need? The body loses about 10 to 12 cups of water a day through skin, lungs, urine, and feces. Food provides two to four cups of water, leaving you six to eight glasses of water to drink on your own.
Pure water is one of God's greatest gifts for your health. Help yourself. And when you do, remember to ask Jesus for the "water" He gave the woman at the well that will completely satisfy your spiritual thirst and become like a "spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:14, NIV).
To get your quota for the day, drink a glass of water the first thing in the morning, another two glasses midmorning and midafternoon, one about a hour after supper—and never pass up a drinking fountain! And for your spiritual thirst, drink freely from God's Word.
Are you drinking enough water? Forcing the body to work with limited amounts of fluid is a bit like trying to wash the dinner dishes in a cupful of water. When you don't drink enough water, the body must excrete its wastes in a more concentrated form, causing body odor, bad breath, and unpleasant-smelling urine.
Our bodies are about 70 percent water, and our kidneys process more than 47 gallons of it in a day. Without it we'd look more wrinkled than California raisins!
But why is this colorless, tasteless, calorie- and salt-free substance that has no nutritional value so absolutely necessary?
The answer lies in the physiological workings of the body. Water to the body is like oil to a car engine. It's the magic lubricant that makes everything else work. A drink of water is like an internal shower and is exactly what the body needs to carry out all its life processes.
But won't other beverages, such as fruit juice or diet soda, do the job? Beverages other than water pose special problems for the body. Many have calories that must be digested like food. Such calories may produce extra fat storage, swings in the blood sugar, and slowed digestion. Sugar in beverages requires extra water for metabolism. Most beverages increase acid secretion in the stomach. And many sodas contain phosphorus, a chemical that can help deplete the body's calcium supplies, contributing to brittle bones.
Drinking water eliminates these problems. It has no extra calories to slow down digestion or add unwanted fat. No irritants to stress the sensitive linings of the digestive tract, and fewer chemicals to threaten delicate body machinery.
How much do you need? The body loses about 10 to 12 cups of water a day through skin, lungs, urine, and feces. Food provides two to four cups of water, leaving you six to eight glasses of water to drink on your own.
Pure water is one of God's greatest gifts for your health. Help yourself. And when you do, remember to ask Jesus for the "water" He gave the woman at the well that will completely satisfy your spiritual thirst and become like a "spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:14, NIV).
To get your quota for the day, drink a glass of water the first thing in the morning, another two glasses midmorning and midafternoon, one about a hour after supper—and never pass up a drinking fountain! And for your spiritual thirst, drink freely from God's Word.
Used by permission of Health Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.
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