Devotions for Dieters
 

I signed up to receive a daily devotional a while back. Some entries are really good. I thought about posting the daily one for yall, but I dont want to clog up the board so Im just going to post the new one on this thread and if yall want to read it, feel free.

Psalm 138:7
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.


It was war! Greg looked at the bag of cookies on the table in front of him, and they almost made him cry. Why couldn't he just ignore them? It was as if they had some kind of magical spell over him. Closing his eyes didn't help. Neither did putting them in the cabinet; he still knew they were there. He was determined to resist their pull, but was he really strong enough? When the temptations get to be too much, we need to call on the Lord. In the midst of our stiffest challenges, He will truly save us.

Today's thought: I need God to save me from myself!

That is nice, Cara. Thank you for posting it.

John 14:27
'Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.'


Bill felt it was a no-win situation. If he dieted, he felt lousy because he was hungry all the time. If he broke his diet, he felt guilty. It was hard to tell which was worse, the hunger or the guilt. He wanted to trim down, but he loved to eat. He never knew that he'd suffer through so much turmoil just trying to lose weight. Diets can really stir us up. They make us feel physically and emotionally strained. During periods of dieting, we need to find peace of mind and heart. Ask God for that peace. He promises to deliver it to those who ask Him for it. When we need it most, God gladly gives it.

Today's thought: Better to have peace of mind than a piece of cake!

John 14:18
'I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.'


Joan was such a great friend. Almost every day she would stop by to see how things were going. Joan had been there herself. She had battled her weight for years. It was comforting to have someone around who had made it. Joan looked great. Just knowing it could be done made the whole diet easier, somehow. When we try to lose weight all by ourselves, the struggle is doubly difficult. We all need support in tough times. We can count on God's comfort when we diet. He has promised that He will never leave us comfortless. Believe in that promise. When our diets seem most futile, God will come to us.

Today's thought: With the help of friends, I can lose more pounds!

1 Thessalonians 5:11
Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.


Joining the group was the best move she ever made. Fay had struggled alone through a dozen diets with no real success. Then she saw the notice on the church bulletin board about the group that dieted and exercised together. She was a little hesitant at first, but finally she decided to give it a try. What a difference it made! Dieting with a group was much better than dieting alone. Fay felt that God had really led her to this group. She gained so much strength from her new friends, and she was amazed at how much she was able to help others.

Today's thought: A diet for two is easier to do!

Outstanding inspiration....

Luke 10:41-42
And Jesus answered and said unto her, 'Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.'


Angie brought home a new diet book each week. She had a closet full of exercisers guaranteed to take off pounds and inches. She had a cabinet full of pills, powders, and liquids bearing promises of miraculous weight loss. Cindy just shook her head. Why go to all the trouble? Losing weight wasn't going to come from anywhere except from inside the person who wanted to lose it. Desire was the main ingredient. It was too easy to get caught up in fads and fancy claims. A quiet determination to lose weight was what was really important. Angie lost a few pounds, while Cindy lost many.
Today's thought: It's hard to lose weight when you have a fat head!

Philemon 7
For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.


Phil had a lousy self-image. He felt unwanted and unloved. He looked at himself in the mirror and saw an enormous slob. No one could love that. Dieting didn't even make sense. It was useless. Nothing would ever change. Poor Phil honestly believed he was unloved. He had no reason to change because he saw no hope for his future. How sad that Phil didn't know the love of God. We can proceed with our diets knowing that we are loved and that we are lovable. Just knowing that makes it all worthwhile. We draw strength from the comfort that comes from being loved. That strength ensures that we can lose the weight we want to lose.

Today's thought: Special people can do anything they set their mind to, and I am a special person!

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.


Another diet. Carla had tried so many times, and she had never come close to succeeding. She wasn't even sure why she was trying again. She knew it would be good for her to lose weight, but she felt beaten before she even began. What would make this time any different from the rest? What makes one attempt different from others is this: confidence. We really have to believe that we can do it. It should help us immensely to know that God believes in us. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He has equipped us with everything we need to succeed. All we have to do is learn to believe.

Today's thought: What I lack in confidence, I make up for with faith!

Matthew 7:7-8
'Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.'


Barry never really believed that he'd lose weight. That was probably his problem. His heart was never in it. Whenever he got the least bit discouraged, he'd immediately give up. His friends tried to offer support, but Barry always came up with excuses why he should give up his diet. If we want to lose weight, we need to believe in ourselves. Self-doubt is a killer. If we lack faith in ourselves, then perhaps we can overcome it by the faith we have in God. God can fill us with a self-assurance that allows us to do almost anything we set our minds to. Push aside doubt. Be filled with the confidence of God.

Today's thought: With God's help, I'll knock off a few pounds!

Malachi 3:6
For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.


God was such a big help when Gwen began her diet, but He didn't seem to care much anymore. Lately, Gwen's diet had become almost intolerable. She began to wonder if God knew what she was going through. She had prayed daily when she started her diet, and it had gotten so easy that she really didn't need to pray all the time. Then, it started getting harder. Why did God let that happen? Poor Gwen never realized that God hadn't changed, but she had. She included God all the time at first, then she left Him out more and more. God will help us just as much as we allow Him to. Often we are our own, and God's, worst enemy when we take our lives out of God's hands and put them into our own.

Today's thought: God and I are dieting together!

Isaiah 41:10
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea,I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.


Ben was afraid to even try a diet. He never had much luck with things that required a lot of willpower on his part. He caved in much too easily. If only someone else would make his decisions for him. He had never been overweight when he lived at home and had his mother around to tell him what to eat and what not to eat. Ben would be the first one to admit that he had no self-control. Unfortunately, we all have to learn to discipline ourselves. God doesn't tell us what to do. He gives us complete freedom, but He will help us have the strength to make right decisions if we ask Him to. Include God, and He will make some wonderful things happen.

Today's thought: True power is the ability to say no!

Romans 4:21
And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.


Jesus Christ turned water to wine, He walked on the water, and calmed the sea. He cured many diseases and cast out demons. He conquered death for His friend Lazarus and for Himself. He promises that He will be with us and that His power is ours as we try to be the people God created us to be. How, then, can we doubt that He will help us when we need to lose weight? Are not the pounds of our flesh within His scope of power? Cannot the chosen Son of God do such a small miracle in our lives as to give us the determination we need to conquer fat? This He can and will do, and much more, if we will but believe.

Today's thought: 'More' brought about my distress; help me, Lord, to live by 'less'!

Colossians 3:2
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.


The smells from the cafeteria were more than Blanche could take. Not that the cafeteria food was anything to write home about, but when she was on a diet, almost anything smelled good! She grabbed her jacket and headed out the door. Immediately, the fresh fall air erased the cafeteria smells. The sky was a deep blue, and the white clouds lazily drifted by. The sun was out, the birds were singing, and everything was right with the world. Blanche spent her lunch hour just strolling through God's splendor. Before she knew it, her hunger had passed, and she was ready to tackle the afternoon. The glory of God had lifted her above her earthly passions, and she was grateful.

Today's thought: There's much more to life than lunch!

I enjoyed reading these today. They are very inspirational.

Thank you for sharing I'm enjoying these and some I can even relate to lol

Truly awesome!!!!!!

Online Devotion
 

Cara, I would love to receive these devotions online for myself. Can you give us the web address? Thanks

crossroads
 

I get them in my e mail from CROSSROAD.There is a longlist of devotions you can get

Seeing this hasn't been updated in awhile. Posting today's!
December 12

Matthew 5:8
'Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.'
Denise wanted to do what was right. She was a good person, and it never occurred to her that her weight problem might be displeasing to God. Her friend tried to tell her that it didn't mean God didn't love her. What she meant was that God likes it best when we take the best care of ourselves possible, and that extra weight wasn't doing that. Denise pondered what her friend said to her for a long while, then resolved to try her best to lose weight. Apologetically, she prayed to God and asked Him to help her as she tried to set things right. The prayer of a person pure in heart and full of kindness speaks loudest into the ear of the Lord.
Today's thought: I wish my heart could teach my mouth to say 'no'!

Hi Mrs J!
I sent you an email, we have more in common that I previously thought, and, no, I'm not a stalker. LOL I'm doing the CAD and I'm a Christian as well. Pretty much that is it. :D
Thanks for the devotional!
Jodi

Matthew 6:21
'For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.'

Grady thought he was pretty smart, hiding the chocolate bars be-side his bed. He would do well on his diet during the day, but at night he would go wild eating chocolate. Every day he would talk a good game, saying how much he really wanted to be thinner, but when the lights went out at night, he would undo all his fine talk by sneaky, fattening action. When he was caught, Grady merely shrugged it off, saying he wouldn't do it again. The next night, Grady fell asleep with chocolate thick on his breath. Actions often do speak louder than words. Where our treasure is-that is, what's really important to us-there will our hearts and actions be, also.
Today's thought: Make my diet important enough to me to keep me from temptation!

My rough time of the day is bedtime as well. Not sweets, thank God, but snacky foods like chips. I used to ALWAYS have a bedtime snack/meal, when I started CAD on the 9th, I had done really well, but, last night I wanted a snack, I was "hungry". I ate about 7 green olives and a cheddar cheese stick. It could have been so much worse, but, I hope I can really get out of that bedtime snacking.

Take care,
Jodi

Hebrews 12:11
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Jeremy was good for Lisa. Whenever she did something she shouldn't or ate something that wasn't on her diet, he was quick to chastise her for it. She hated when he did it, but that made it all the more effective. There were times she wanted to throttle him, but most of the time she wanted to kiss him. He was the reason her dieting was working, and though sometimes it was annoying, she wouldn't change it for anything. God will help keep us in line, if we let Him. We need someone to watch over us; to keep us out of mischief. God will make sure we last until we triumph, if we will allow Him to do so.
Today's thought: The call of fattening food is not as loud as the call of God to do what's right!

Copied from Crosswalk's Devotional for Dieters.

December 20

Revelation 3:21
'To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.'

Gramps promised Kathy that if she would lose forty pounds by Christmas, he would take her to Bermuda with him. Kathy could hardly wait for Gramps to see her. She'd topped out at fifty-three pounds lost, and had a note from her doctor as documented proof. At first, she never thought she'd make it, but a lot of prayers, sweat, tears, and sacrifice had made it come true. She had never worked so hard for anything in her life. Even without the trip, she felt she'd received reward enough, but she planned to hold Gramps to his promise, anyway.

Today's thought: I'd rather be overjoyed than overweight!

Copied from Crosswalk's Devotional for Dieters.

December 21

2 Corinthians 2:14
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

Rose was hoping for some miracle to appear in her Christmas stocking. Another year was almost gone, and she hadn't lost any weight. Each year she swore things would be different, but nothing ever changed. Rose just didn't have any commitment at all. She knew no one would lose the weight for her, but she kept hoping it would melt away on its own. Dreaming won't make our weight disappear. We need to take positive steps on our own. However, we have God to help us. He will carry us when we are too weak to continue, and He will encourage us when we feel depressed and hopeless. God offers us victory in the face of failure. Accept God's help, and a miracle will indeed happen.

Today's thought: I know what I need to do to lose weight, and with God's help I will do it!

Copied form Crosswalk's Devotional for Dieters.

Have blessed day, everyone!

December 22

Philippians 3:13
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.

Wendy had a hard time putting her past behind her. Christmas had been torture for her as a child. Everyone would talk about 'poor' Wendy, who was fat and awkward. Everyone always picked on her, and they never let her eat the things she wanted. Every single person had some sage bit of advice for her. Even though things had changed a lot in the past couple of years, she still dreaded the holidays. She was trim and svelte, and no one could do anything but admire her, and still it was hard. Old demons die hard. Dieting requires much more than physical transformation. It also calls for emotional healing, and the one sure source for that is God.

Today's thought: The past is fast fading away. I'm headed for a trimmer me!

Copied from Crosswalk's Devotional for Dieters

Have a great day, everyone!

December 24

2 Thessalonians 3:5
And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

Nancy sat in the warm glow of the firelight, looking at the sparkle of the Christmas tree. What was it like that very first Christmas morn? What must Mary and Joseph have been feeling? Imagine the anticipation and wonder. Nancy's mind wandered to the fact that she had lost so much weight through the year. Suddenly, she was embarrassed by a thought. She had thought her diet was so important; she had been so impatient trying to lose weight. Compared with the magic and wonder of this night, and all that it meant, her diet seemed pretty insignificant. She owed everything she had and everything she was to Jesus Christ. It was a joy to welcome Him into her heart once again this blessed Christmas Eve.

Today's thought: The day-to-day gifts of God pale in comparison with His greatest gift: His Son, Jesus the Christ!

Copied from Crosswalk's Devotional for Dieters

Have a blessed day, thank you God for your precious gift, Jesus! <3

December 25

1 John 4:10
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

God has given all to make us happy. He has blessed us with a beautiful world, a wonderful life, and many opportunities for fulfillment and joy. He asks that we respect His gifts and endeavor to be the best people we can possibly be. To help us, He sent His only Son to come into this world as an example. We can know God's desire for us through His Son. Not only did His Son come as an example, but as a Savior, to allow us to be reconciled with our God. All that we have received is from God. On this glorious Christmas morn, make a gift of your life to God. Give Him the only thing that truly matters: You!

Today's thought: If I can in any way be used, help me bring about peace on earth and goodwill to all God's children!

Copied from Crosswalk's Devotional for Dieters

MERRY CHRISTMAS, everyone! So grateful to God for His precious Gift!

December 26

2 Corinthians 4:17
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

The army had been good for Stan. When he was younger, he was completely undisciplined. The army had taken care of that. He had to work his tail off to get into good shape, but it was worth it. The short period of affliction he suffered through helped him in so many other ways. The folks back home couldn't believe the change they saw while he was home for the holidays. God disciplines His children on occasion because He knows the lasting lessons we need to learn. Diets help us grow in maturity and fitness for the kingdom of God.

Today's thought: A gain in discipline means a loss in weight!

Copied from Crosswalk Devotions for Dieters

I really like that "Diets help us grow in maturity and fitness for the kingdom of God." Never really thought of that before!

Have a blessed day!

December 27

Revelation 2:17
'He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.'

Donna thanked God for giving her a whole new life. Losing the weight had only been part of it. Donna had fervently prayed for transformation, but she never bargained for all that God would do for her. Her attitude was transformed from one of doom to one of hope. Her appearance was transformed from one of dumpiness to one of beauty. Her emotional stability had been transformed from one of teetering on the brink to solid rock. She couldn't believe it, but she was a totally different person than she had been a year before. The God of miracles and life had certainly worked in Donna's life. He's available to work in ours, also.

Today's thought: With God's help I will lose weight, lose hate, and lose my desire to denigrate!

Copied from Crosswalk Devotions for Dieters

I like this one, especially now it is the end of the year, just think what this time next year will be!

December 28

1 John 5:5
Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Burt couldn't help but rub it in. Terry had claimed to have found the diet breakthrough of the century. He lost seven pounds. Greg got hold of some miracle pills, and he lost eleven pounds. Craig had mortgaged his house to buy a membership in a health club. He managed to lose fourteen pounds. Burt had simply told his friends he was going to lose weight on the Jesus plan. Whenever he got hungry between meals, he was going to go off and read the Gospels. They had all laughed long and hard at him, but he who laughs last, laughs best. Twenty-eight pounds had dropped because of the Jesus plan. There's nothing like it.

Today's thought: God can do for me what nothing on earth can!

Copied from Crosswalk Devotions for Dieters.

December 29

Matthew 4:11
Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Victory! Steve felt he'd really run the good race. No matter how great the temptations had gotten lately, he had been able to withstand them. Christ was pulling him through the roughest times yet. Each time he beat back the temptations, he felt better than ever. It was as if God was rewarding him by making him feel so good. The pounds were coming off, and it was actually beginning to get easy. Steve never thought he'd come to say that. Steve was convinced. If God could make a diet tolerable, then God really could do anything!

Today's thought: I will not take part in devil's food!

Copied from Crosswalk Devotions for Dieters.

This is how I have been feeling the last couple of days, that God has given me His strength to stay on my plan, and I even started exercising today. Completely happy! :)

December 30

1 Corinthians 10:31
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Leah remembered the question her pastor had asked, 'What do you think God wants you to eat?' At first, it had seemed like a silly question, but the more Leah thought about it, the more she realized there really wasn't any food God didn't want to let her have. It was the quantities and frequency of consumption that Leah realized God would disapprove of. Moderation in everything was the rule she needed to follow. She felt so much better. Her diet didn't need to be a lot of heavy sacrifices. All she needed to do was develop some self-control, and with God's help, she would.

Today's thought: Let my eating and drinking offend no one, especially God!

Copied from Crosswalk Devotions for Dieters.

December 31

Ecclesiastes 9:7
Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

There will come a day when the diet is truly over. We must endure until that day with a strong spirit and an earnest desire to please the Lord. We have been blessed with much, and in some cases, too much. God has been good to give, and He will be equally good to help take away. Remember the Lord every step of your diet. Call upon Him for strength, for comfort, for hope, and for courage. He will hear you, and He will be sure to answer you. In time, you will come to that day, not too distant, when you can eat your bread with joy and without guilt, drink and make merry, and stand confident and proud that you have indeed glorified your Lord.

Today's thought: I will be a conqueror, through the mighty love of God.

Copied from Crosswalk Devotions for Dieters

What a great way to end 2015!

January 1

1 Corinthians 6:19
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

As Christians, we believe that God dwells within us. Our bodies become His home, and it makes sense that we should try to make His surroundings as nice as possible. The temple of God in Israel was kept immaculately clean and pure. Only the most clean and holy of men were allowed to enter it. It was revered by all. The temple was the most holy and special place of all. When we are told that our bodies are the temple of God, it is not an option whether or not we will take care of it; it is a duty. When we care for our physical being, we are making God's temple a holy and special place.

Today's thought: We diet not only for ourselves, but for God!

Copied from Crosswalk Devotions for Dieters

Hello everyone! What a good feeling to start a new year! Sometimes we set too high of expectations for ourselves and want to give up as soon as there is a bump in the road. Don't let that happen this year! There is so much support on this site, that even if you fall off the wagon for a meal, a day, a week, a month, the people on this forum are so gracious and welcoming, you can have a "do-over" anytime. So, don't be so hard on yourself this year! That is my goal for 2016! :)

January 2

1 Peter 1:16
...it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Too often we think that holiness is merely a matter of the spirit. We feel that if we read our Bible, pray regularly, and attend wor-ship, we are being holy. But holiness requires that we tend to our physical health as well as our spiritual health. Early Christians realized that they were more alert and better able to concentrate on God when they felt good. Tending to the body made them better at their spiritual pursuits. Dieting may make us look better, but it will also make us feel better, and it will enable us to pursue God in deeper and more meaningful ways.

Today's thought: We please God when we try to be the best we can be!

Copied from Crosswalk Devotions for Dieters

This one is good! Motivated me! :)

1 Thessalonians 4:7
For God hath not called us unto uncleaness, but unto holiness.

When we try to figure out what it means to be holy, we think of many things that we do which we shouldn't. Our minds fill with 'thou shalt nots' and we promise ourselves that we will do better. Our minds should not be so filled by the bad things we have done; we should focus on the good things we can do. Certainly, dieting requires sacrifice, but the benefits involved far outweigh the costs. Our focus must be on what we receive rather than what we must do without. Dieting is not turning from what we shouldn't do. Dieting is doing what God calls us to do.

Today's thought: God will not leave us when we respond to His call!

Copied from Crosswalk Devotions for Dieters

Whoop, whoop! :D

January 5

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Once we decide for ourselves that being overweight is wrong, then it is vital that we put ourselves in God's hands. Though being overweight is not a sin, few people would say it is good. We should avoid everything that is not good. God will help us whenever we turn from things that are bad. Prayer is an important part of our attempts to lose weight. We can trust God to bless all our efforts to do what we feel is right. There is no reason to feel guilty for being overweight, for God forgives us our weakness and offers His own strength as our own. We can start our diets with a clear conscience and an assurance that God is with us every step of the way.

Today's thought: We have nothing to feel guilty about!

Copied from Crosswalk Devotions for Dieters

January 6
Hebrews 9:22
And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

If we learn anything at all from being a Christian, we learn that good things do not come without sacrifice. Jesus had to give everything He had in order to reunite us with God. If we decide to be the best we can be, then we need to accept the fact that there is some sacrifice required. When we learn to sacrifice, we learn what it means to be a Christian. Sacrifice is a good discipline. Sacrifice teaches us what is really important, and it helps us be thankful for what we have. When we stop to think of how great Christ's sacrifice was for us, it inspires us in our diets to become better people: people worth dying for!

Today's thought: Dieting can draw me closer to being a disciple!

Copied from Crosswalk Devotions for Dieters

Interesting...!

January 7

Ephesians 2:13
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

A friend of mine who was dangerously overweight lamented to me once that she was 'so fat that God wouldn't even recognize me as the person He created.' She felt that her weight problems had driven a wedge between her and God. How sad. Nothing that we do ever really separates us from God, but when we feel badly about ourselves, we feel we are unlovable, even by God. It is important that we see ourselves as good people. God loves us no matter how we look, but He is delighted with us when we take pride in who He created us to be. God will bless our efforts, so we need to draw as close to Him as possible as we attempt to diet.

Today's thought: God loves us just as we are.

Copied from Crosswalk Devotional for Dieters

This surely hits home for me! I almost forgot to look at it, I love being reminded how faithful God is and loves us no matter what! Have a great day, everyone!