John 20:29
Jesus saith unto him, 'Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.'
Too many of us suffer from Missouri disease. Missourians are noted for their skepticism, and that is why Missouri is known as the 'show me' state. We look for some kind of impressive, spectacular sign. If we don't get it, then we disregard the source. God doesn't work through flashy signs and gimmicks. God works quietly and intimately, and He works His will in His own time. We may not always see the results when we want to, but relax; the Lord is at work, and we need have no fear that He will let us down.
Today's thought: The Lord is helping me, whether I can sense it or not.
Matthew 17:20
And Jesus said unto them, 'Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, +Remove hence to yonder place;' and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.'
Too often we miss the point of the mustard seed. We think quantity of faith is the determining factor in getting our hearts' desires. Quantity has nothing to do with it. Jesus used the mustard seed to show that we all have at least that much faith, and if we will learn to employ it, we will see miraculous things happen in our lives. Because of Christ in our lives, nothing is impossible for us, including our diets.
Today's thought: If I can remove mountains, then I can remove pounds!
1 John 5:4
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
When Jesus faced the devil in the wilderness, He was weak and hungry. He had fasted long and hard, and He would have given anything to be able to break that fast. Bread is a great temptation to a starving man. Yet, Jesus refused to give in to the temptations of the devil. No matter how enticing Satan was, Jesus was able to resist him. By resisting the devil, Jesus overcame him, and in so doing, He overcame the world and all it could offer Him. We, too, can overcome the world by having faith in the One who has already triumphed. No temptation on earth can bring us down, because we follow the One who overcame the whole world.
Today's thought: I will turn to Jesus whenever I need a faith lift!
Romans 8:24
For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Gwen stopped by the dress shop every few days to look at the gown she had picked out. Though it was a couple of sizes smaller than she wore, she dreamed of the time she could fit into it. It was a perfect gown. She could visualize in her mind's eye how stunning she would look in it. For the next month, Gwen stuck to a strict diet and made her dream a reality. She lost the two sizes and bought the dress she wanted so badly. We need our dreams, hopes, and plans to make it through our diets. Hope helps us bolster our faith and makes our dreams come true.
Hebrews 6:12
That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Beverly held a support group at the church every Tuesday morning. Bev had been enormous before she began her diet, and to the amazement of the entire congregation, she had lost two hundred pounds. After losing her weight, Beverly had determined to help others in their fights to lose weight. Many people found help in turning to Beverly, because they knew she could sympathize with what they were experiencing. Other people had little use for Bev, because her way of losing weight was too demanding. Being a Christian often means taking the hard way, but the hard way always offers us the greatest rewards.
Today's thought: Help me to benefit from the faith of others!
Luke 8:48
And he said unto her, 'Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.'
When all is said and done, the determining factor in our diet is going to be our frame of mind. No one loses weight who doubts he can do it. The mind is a tricky thing, and it will tell us time and again that there is no way we can hope to succeed. It will create all kinds of monsters for us to overcome, and defeating them is not easy. Only the person who is mentally and spiritually prepared stands a chance of overcoming. When we truly believe in ourselves and our Lord, then we can go in peace, knowing that nothing on earth can get the better of us.
Today's thought: God is bigger than any craving my mind and stomach can come up with!
Matthew 14:31
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, 'O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?'
Peter asked the Lord to allow him to walk on the water. Seeing his Master walking on the waves caused Peter to wish to do likewise. However, once he began his walk, he found himself sinking and afraid. What did the Lord do at this sign of unbelief? Did He allow Peter to sink? Of course not! So long as Jesus is nearby, we need never fear for our lives. Jesus Christ reaches out His hand to us when we get in over our heads. Though He wants us to develop unshakable faith, He is forgiving and loving, and He lifts us up when we are too weak to stand up on our own.
Today's thought: Thank the Lord that Christ holds me up when I'm most down!
James 5:16
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
The group began every week by admitting all their transgressions. Having to admit all the wrongs that were done really helped act as a deterrent during the week. It was embarrassing to tell people about the things you shouldn't have eaten, even though they were all friends. What really made a difference was the period of prayer that ended each session. What a source of strength and courage! The group was the best thing Janet had ever gotten into. Dieting was almost a joy when it was done with such good friends. Sharing the experience helped Janet make her diet a success.
Today's thought: Confession is good for the soul and for the diet!
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.
Jerry was so confident. He knew he could lose weight if he would only knuckle down and try. But it seemed that no matter how determined he got, something came up to thwart him. Whenever friends tried to help him, he told them to leave him alone; he was going to make it on his own. How sad that some people try to do everything by themselves. It is good to believe in yourself, but not when that self-belief causes you to be less than you can be. Believe in God. Put your faith there. Whatever you find you cannot do, remember that God can do it.
Today's thought: Thank God for the gift of determination!
Romans 1:17
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Jean had gone to church for years and had always known she was welcome there. Barbara attended a church across town from Jean's, and she was beginning to think it just wasn't right for her anymore. Both women saw each other at an exercise class that met on Monday mornings. One morning Barbara lamented about her disillusionment with her church, and Jean invited her to come to church with her on Sunday morning. Barbara immediately felt at home in Jean's church, and the two women developed a strong relationship. Faith met faith at an exercise/weight class, and a beautiful friendship was born.
Today's thought: I will use my diet for the glory of God.
Mark 16:16
'He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.'
It is so easy to be tossed back and forth in our commitment to our diets. One day they seem worth the effort, and the next they seem like such a drag. It feels like they will never end, and nothing we do makes the time pass any faster. The sad fact is, it is up to us. If we stick to our diets, we'll lose weight. If we cheat, then we can't expect to lose. Just as the Christian who believes receives the eternal reward and those who don't believe will have no part in it, dieters who remain faithful reap the reward, while those who lose heart receive nothing.
Today's thought: In dieting, the biggest winner is the biggest loser!
John 15:7
'If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.'
'I don't really believe in God. I keep asking him for things, and I never get them. I want new clothes, a decent car, and I'm tired of working. I go to church regularly, and I pray all the time. The Bible says that if I ask for anything in God's name I'll get it. I think it's a bunch of hogwash.' Too many people think all they have to do is ask, and God will shower them with wealth and luxuries of life. God does indeed want us to have good things, but He tells us that we must ask for things with a Christlike mind. We need to ask ourselves, 'Would Christ ask for this?' Ask in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and God will bless you richly.
Today's thought: I need God's help to ask for the right things.
Hebrew 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Jimmy wanted the bicycle so badly he could taste it. His mother and father had told him to save for it, and they would help him buy it. He remembered his father saying, 'If it's important enough to you, you'll be surprised how easy it is to save your money.' He hoped this was true, because he sure wanted the bike. If we want to lose weight badly enough, we will be surprised how easily we can stick to our diets. When the goal is great enough, we find sufficient supplies of faith and determination to overcome any temptation.
Today's thought: I want to be a substantial person without having a substantial body!
Romans 14:22
Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
Face it: You're going to give in a few times along the way. You know it, I know it, and most importantly, God knows it. As human beings, we have to face the fact that there are times we are very weak. Too many people condemn themselves and find it hard to go on. That's nonsense. When we fall down and indulge in a special treat we should not have, we should repent of the transgression but not of the happiness the treat gave us. Those things that fatten us are good, and we like them a lot. There is nothing wrong with liking them, and there is nothing to be ashamed of in falling back now and again.
Today's thought: If God thinks I'm forgivable, who am I to argue?
2 Corinthians 1:9
But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead.
Alice walked ahead of me in the lunch line. As we moved along, Alice would hesitate, reach out her hand, then pull it back. After she had done this a couple of times, I noticed that she had three letters written on the back of her hand: GIW. I asked her what they meant. She looked at me and said, 'God Is Watching. I figure if I keep reminding myself of that, it will keep me out of trouble.' When we cannot trust ourselves, it is good to know there is Someone to trust who will not let us down: Jesus Christ.
Today's thought: Watch me closely, Lord. I'm hungry, and I'm weak.
