I thought of something totally different than the context when I read this verse, “They shall eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and they shall drink water by measure and in dismay.”

This is a punishment on Judah. They are going to lack bread and water. The description of it, though, is that they will eat and drink by measure and with anxiety and dismay.

“They shall eat bread by weight and with anxiety.” That made me think of Weight Watchers. People used to literally weigh their food. Now they count the calories and whatever else they count. They are anxious about their weight, health, appearance.

Why am I against it? It’s relying on man, on flesh for their health and well-being. It leaves God out of the process, though they will acknowledge Him at times. But God becomes part of the formula, the body, mind, soul formula the world has created for health. God becomes part of the world’s idea of mindfulness.

Instead, God’s people could be feasting, not only on God’s word, but also on bread. God has promises for His people that they will be satisfied in famine, which can be natural and supernatural in nature, both bread and the word of God.

Getting back to the original verse. In dismay they drink water in measure. Ever hear anyone talk about not drinking enough water? I even know a woman who has a water bottle connected to an app.

Again, it’s a reliance on man’s understanding and man’s methods. Could being turned over to such things be a punishment from God?

Currently, when I fast, I don’t drink anything, nothing passes my lips. I started doing that specifically to combat the world’s ideas creeping into me about what I “needed.” I didn’t want to be thinking about my health or how much water I was drinking. Adding that to my fast was a way to tell my flesh it got no say in what was needful for me.

Can you say Christ is all you need and mean it?