The Table that Heals

Desparate Dining

We've all seen those viral faith-based quotes on social media:

"God will never give you more than you can bear."

"You only need the Bible to hear from God, not a podcast or a sermon."

"There is no such thing as 'church hurt. Would you stop eating if you got food poisoning?"

They mostly came from pastors and Theo-bros with podcasts discussing their personal opinions about faith. But is any of that true? How often do we find ourselves scrolling through social media or listening to a sermon that feels right in the moment, but goes unchecked in our personal belief system? 

In 2 Kings 4, we are in the middle of a group of stories from the life of the Prophet Elisha (read all about his calling here). Verse 34 describes a time of famine, when food was scarce, yet the Prophet asked his servant to prepare a stew for a gathering of prophets. The servant was in a tough spot, tasked with providing something that seemed impossible.

Ever been in a situation where so much was asked of you, but you had nothing to give? This servant was probably panicking! Not only was the great Prophet meeting with them, but he was requesting something scarce. 

It's usually in moments of desperation that we go to what we know. This could be either a negative or a positive thing; it all depends on whether our source is healthy or not. 

This servant went out into the fields to gather herbs. Notice how it doesn't say "gather vegetables or fruits". The servant may not have expected much, but they went out in faith and what they found was something new and wild. 

What is True in the Stew?

One of my favorite shows to binge is Survivor. Suppose you are one of the few people who haven't heard of it, it's a game/reality show where a group of strangers have to outplay each other in a remote area. Sometimes the losers of a challenge have to scrounge for food and end up searching the jungle for anything edible. That's what I imagine when I read 2 Kings 4:39.

"One of them...found a wild vine and picked as many of its gourds as his garment could hold. When he returned, he cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were." 

The servant thought they hit the jackpot! It looked like a miracle! The great Prophet Elisha asks for food during a famine, and there are entire gourds that have remained untouched, just sitting there. The timing of the discovery and the pressure of the situation make it understandable how the gourds could be used unchecked. So, imagine the shock when lunch is served for the prophets and the stew turns out to be poisonous. The irony of a room full of prophets being unaware of the poison in the stew is meant to stress the desperation of their hunger. 

This speaks volumes about our spiritual hunger. In today's world, we're all in a spiritual famine, with social media and podcasts filled with opinions and perspectives on how we should live, how we should interpret Scripture, or even what life really means. I fall into the category as well. When I created this website, it emerged from a need to capture all that I felt God was showing me spiritually as I studied the Bible and wrestled with my faith. But at the end of it all, is any of it true? How do we know what's true and what's not? How do we parse out individual experience and universal fact?

In moments of confusion, it's tempting to latch onto anything that promises clarity. Politics, podcasts, belief systems, even faith itself, can become the "wild gourds" we consume without considering whether they are truly life-giving. Like the stew in the story, if the things we consume aren't tested, they may end up poisoning our spiritual health. Food in Biblical stories often represents a person's intake, both physically and spiritually. But here's the key: Prophet Elisha, called and anointed by God, doesn't rebuke the servant.

Test What You Digest

"Elisha said, "Get some flour." He put it into the pot and said, "Serve it to the people to eat." And there was nothing harmful in the pot." (2 Kings 4:41)

He orders the recipe to be altered with flour. Why flour? Because flour is a base ingredient. It reacts with and tempers other ingredients in the mix.  It was only then that the Bible says the stew had "nothing harmful" in it. 

What is your basis for truth? How are you framing what you hear? Just because something sounds good doesn't mean it's God. This is why Paul says, "we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Paul is saying that if you get into the habit of filtering what you hear through the lens of who Jesus is, you will be able to discern the truth. In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus tells us that we'll recognize true and false teachings by their fruit: "By their fruit you will recognize them… Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit." In other words, you will know what something is by how it embodies itself in the world. 

The explosion of TikTok theology reflects an authentic desire for spiritual connection. But in this culture of endless opinions and untested ideas, it's easy to be swept away by messages that sound good but haven't been truly tested. Truth is something that lasts. Like Jesus said, the truth of a thing is always experienced. Test what you digest. Don't chase after a fleeting spiritual high. Seek personal, authentic encounters with the Living God—those are the moments that truly satisfy.

2 Kings 4. (n.d.). In Holy Bible: New International Version.

2 Corinthians 10. (n.d.). In Holy Bible: New International Version.

Matthew 7. (n.d.). In Holy Bible: New International Version.