Galatians 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Kerry knew God loved her when she was fat, but she felt His love so much more now that she was thin. She knew it had nothing to do with how much God really loved her, but with how much she loved herself. Now, she could look in the mirror without shame blushing her cheeks. Now, she could hold her head up and not worry about what other people thought of her. Once she had been a slave to her body. Now she was free to be everything she wanted to be. She had once believed she would never be free of the weight that burdened her not only physically, but emotionally, too. God indeed worked wonders!
Today's thought: With God's help, I will be free from fat.
Phillipians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Promises. Every diet made promises, and they very rarely came through. Jenny had tried a dozen diets, each time putting her faith in their promises. Quietly, with tears in her eyes, she prayed for God's help. She wanted to lose weight so badly. As she prayed, she felt calm and hopeful. If only she could feel so peaceful when temptation raised its ugly head. Jenny vowed to try turning to God for help in the future instead of turning to more fad diets. Maybe God could do things for her that diet plans couldn't. She didn't really understand it, but she believed it was true.
Today's thought: If I turn to God, there's always hope!
Hosea 6:3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
Carol went to a Christian prayer group with some skepticism. Gladys and Ann had started going, and they had immediately made great strides in their diets. Both women gave all the credit to God, but Carol wasn't convinced. She thought it sounded way too easy. Why would God do something for her that she ought to be able to do for herself? Carol wanted to believe, but she just couldn't quite believe that God would be interested enough in her weight problem to help her out. Too bad for Carol that she never realized how trustworthy the Lord is. If we put our faith in Him, He will be sure to help us.
Today's thought: No matter is too insignificant to bring to God!
1 Timothy 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving.
Greg tried not to get discouraged, even though he gained back most of the weight he'd lost. This time it would be easier. He'd done it once; he could do it again. The first time had been so hard because he had such a low opinion of himself. His self-image had improved immensely, and he had the confidence he needed to know he could lose weight. Greg knew he was made in God's image, even if that image got hidden a little now and then. Know-ing that he was loved made losing weight much easier. Greg was thankful that God loved him so. He could conquer anything with God's help.
Today's thought: Good things come to those who believe they will!
Psalm 31:24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.
Gail's wedding day was getting close. She had vowed to lose fifty pounds by the time she got married. She was within ten pounds of her goal, but the last ten pounds were the hardest. She was so worried that she might not make it. She sat alone, looking at the dress, and then she bowed her head to pray. As she asked the Lord for help, she renewed her promise to do everything she could to lose the weight. Suddenly, deep inside, she knew she was going to make it. Everything she hoped for would work out, because the Lord was giving her the strength and courage she needed to succeed.
Today's thought: When God says it will work out, it works out!
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Jeffrey never wanted to put anybody out. Instead of asking for help, he would struggle along on his own. Often, Jeffrey didn't get anything accomplished because he refused to impose on anyone else. Sometimes, we act that way with God. We ask ourselves why God would be interested in helping us solve our problems. The thing is, God wants us to come to Him with our heartfelt needs. We have been invited to come before the throne of grace, and that includes with our diets. When we're honest, we'll admit that we need help, and there is no greater source of help than God.
Today's thought: Our hope to lose weight becomes reality when we put our trust in God.
Philippians 3:8 . . .I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.
A young man dreamed that he was standing before a table spread with a wide array of tantalizing foods. Beyond the table stood Jesus. The young man began eating the food, and he became com-pletely engrossed in his consumption. When he finished, Jesus was gone, and he didn't know where to look to find Him. Whenever we engage in gluttony of any kind, our attention is turned from Christ to our own selfish wants. There should be nothing more important in our lives than doing what is pleasing to God. He wants us to be the best we can possibly be. Food, and our love of food, should always take a second place to our love of the Lord.
Copied from Crosswalk Devotions for Dieters
June 30
Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Gwen hadn't seen Ed in almost five years. When they had last been together, she had been very overweight. She had struggled and fought to lose over the years, and she was quite proud of what she had accomplished. She could hardly wait to see his reaction. That was one of the best things about losing weight: seeing the faces of old friends who could hardly recognize you. The looks she got made the fight worthwhile. Their disbelief made Gwen feel she had performed a miracle. Good things truly did come to those who waited and stuck to their hope. God had blessed her a hundredfold.
Today's thought: What I lose today in weight will be gain in other ways tomorrow!
Proverbs 2:10-11, 20 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
Knowing what is right and doing what is right are completely different matters. Jessica knew she should lose weight, and she knew the way to do that was to cut back on what she was eating. The problem was that she didn't want to give up any of the foods she loved. She just wasn't committed enough. A friend of hers told her that she had all the knowledge she needed in her head, but none of it was in her heart. The reason she couldn't stick to her diet was that she didn't want to lose weight badly enough. When we find ourselves lacking the proper desire, we need to turn to the Lord, to ask His strength for doing what we know to be right.
Today's thought: Dieting is more than a matter of the mind. It's a matter o f the heart!
Luke 21:19 'In your patience possess ye your souls.'
Arlene asked the Lord for just a little more patience. She looked at the clock. She had eaten lunch just three hours before, and now her stomach was telling her to eat again. She knew she really couldn't need food again so soon. She concentrated all her attention on the project she was working on and repeated again and again that she wasn't hungry. Before she knew it, she was finishing the project, her hunger had died down, and it was almost five o'clock. Quickly, Arlene thanked God for helping her hang on awhile. It wasn't nearly as hard to get by with God giving her strength and support.
Today's thought: Decide to control your stomach instead of letting it control you!
Matthew 10:22 'And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
'Christ has a powerful lesson for those who choose to diet. Dieting makes us different, and it is never easy to be different. Being Christians made the disciples different, and they had to suffer many things for their difference. People who are different are often excluded by others. Sometimes they are even abused and persecuted for their differences. There was only one reason the disciples were able to persevere in their faith, and that was the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. That same Spirit can give us the power to be different and the strength to persevere, even through a tough diet.
Today's thought: Christ helps those who choose to be different!
James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Christ allows us to declare a special kind of independence from the prison of obesity. Prisoners endure their captivity because they believe that they will one day find release. Through perseverance we earn the right to declare our independence from fat. God will stand with us as we fight for a healthier, more slender body. His Holy Spirit will help us withstand the temptations of rich, fattening foods, and He promises to bless our efforts to do what is right and good. Let us celebrate the freedom from flesh that God will help us achieve.
Today's thought: Faith in Christ can lead to freedom from fat!
Romans 5:3-4 . . .we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope.
The first week had been the toughest. Perry had paced back and forth past the refrigerator a thousand times. His hunger was so intense that it made him feel ill. He stuck with it a week, but he didn't lose much weight. He decided that he would diet at least one more week. Then it happened. A few pounds came off. Perry felt better. He felt more hopeful. The longer he dieted, the easier it got; especially when he could see some results. Dieting is tough. It takes a lot of patience to wait for the first few results, but when they finally come, they offer us the hope we need to stick with it.
Today's thought: God gives us hope in order to cope!
Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Janet was tired of dieting. She had been at it for almost six months. She looked better, and knew that she was doing the right thing. Taking the pounds off had been hard, but sometimes Janet felt that keeping them off was even harder. Thin people didn't understand that dieting wasn't just something to do to lose weight. For a person with weight problems, it had to be a way of life. God knows that dieting is hard. He knows dieting can be a bore. More than that, He knows we need help to diet. Rely on God. He won't let you down.
Today's thought: I will take dieting one day at a time, one pound at a time!
Copied from Crosswalk Devotions for Dieters
July 7
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Tim always said that God really didn't help him much. The trouble was, Tim never did much for God, either. He rarely prayed, hardly went to church, and didn't even own a Bible. When someone suggested that Tim might go on a diet, he said dieting didn't do any good. Tim pursued a diet about as apathetically as he pursued God. We will never succeed in anything unless we dedicate ourselves-body, mind, and soul-to achieving our goal. A deep and driving faith can be the perfect model for our diets. If we will strive to lose weight as much as we strive after God, He will bless our effort.
Today's thought: I'm giving everything I've got to losing weight!
