1 Peter 1:8
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
When it's all over, we can hardly belive we struggled so much. The reward of losing weight is so great that it wipes out all the bad memories along the way. We experience such a sense of triumph and joy, accomplishment and goodwill. We feel a power from within that helps us believe that anything is possible to us, if we will only have patience, courage, and commitment. God has made us conquerors, and He empowers us to do those things which we set our minds and hearts too. When we live life in hope of glories to come and pursue those glories with everything we have, the Lord will reward us and bless us richly.
Today's thought: I may not see it yet, but a new me is right around the corner!
Psalm 33:18-19
Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
Hunger can be a terrible, terrible feeling. It is unbelievable that just being hungry can make us feel so sick and weak, but it does. We need to find ways to train our minds to ignore the pleadings of the stomach. We need to engage in activities that will occupy our minds and absorb us, so we won't think of the food we should not have. In days gone by, people used to carry a copy of the Gospels with them, and whenever they felt tempted to do what they knew they should not do, they pulled out the Bible and read Scriptures until the desire passed. God is a wonderful diversion to occupy ourselves with when temptations arise.
Today's thought: I'm not dying of hunger; it just feels that way!
Matthew 12:39
But he answered and said unto them, 'An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas.'
Everybody wants guarantees. Everyone wants an escape clause: Money back if not completely satisfied. Unfortunately, the world doesn't work that way all the time. Often, there are no guarantees. Sadly, many people approach their faith in Christ in a similar fashion. They don't want to believe unless there are guarantees. They want to have some sign that will remove all doubts. There are signs of God's goodness and glory all around us, but we ignore them all too often. God does not promise us that He will take all obstacles from our lives. Instead, He promises to stay with us and help us learn to conquer them. We need no sign: God is with us, and His love is forever.
Today's thought: Christ is all the guarantee of success I need!
Revelation 21:3
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.'
Indeed, there is strength in numbers. When we stand alone, we are very vulnerable, and it is easy to give in to trial and temptation. When we stand with others who can relate to our situation, we find a special strength that allows us to cope. Our Lord put us on earth to live together; to draw upon the strength that comes through fellowship. We have fellowship with one another and with God. He is with us wherever we may be. By His presence, He turns our weakness into strength and helps us hang on through the tough times.
1 Thessalonians 5:8
But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
In battle, the helmet is one of the most important protections. Head wounds can be fatal, and so the helmet must be strong. No soldier would think of entering the fray without proper head protection. Thessalonians says that our Christian helmet is the hope of salvation. Christ gives us that helmet. Through the hope we have in Christ, we are protected and prepared to meet the challenges of our lives. Dieting is just one of those challenges, and without hope of success and completion, we are ill-equipped to meet that challenge. The greater our hope, the better our chance to lose weight.
Today's thought: Lord, give me a helmet which covers my mouth, too!
Romans 5:1-2
. . .Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Some days we just need to stop and congratulate ourselves on how far we've come. Perhaps there aren't a lot of outward signs of our diet yet. Perhaps we aren't even close to where we hope to be. Perhaps we still have a long way to go. That's okay. Sometimes we need to rejoice in the progress we've made in order to have the energy to keep on going. The Lord created in six days, and on the seventh He rested. In every endeavor, especially the difficult ones, we need a break to sit back and enjoy what we've done so far. Even if the beginnings are humble, we can feel good that we are devoted to doing something good for ourselves.
Today's thought: I'm better than I was yesterday, and I can't wait until tomorrow!
Hebrews 6:18-19
That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.
When waters get choppy and the foul weather blows in, those who sail know enough to drop anchor so they won't be capsized or dashed onto the rocks. We can learn a lesson from that. As we fight to lose weight, we may find the weather a little foul and the waters a little choppy. Thank God that He is our anchor in all situations of stress and turmoil. If we remember to place our hopes in Him, He will protect us from the temptations and desires that threaten to sink our diets. Call upon the Lord, and He will answer you, and you will be saved.
Today's thought: God makes me immovable in my determination to lose weight!
Psalm 42:11
Why are thou cast down, O my soul? and why are thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Our society would have us believe that the person who tries to do something is a failure unless he or she succeeds. Very little honor is awarded the person who gives it her best shot but falls short of the goal. How sad, for it is the person who does her very best who pleases God the most. When we decide to diet and we try to be as faithful to it as we can be, then we are victors in the eyes of the Lord. We need never grow discouraged when we don't lose weight, as long as we are doing the best job we can.
Today's thought: I judge myself harder than God does!
Mark 13:35
'Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning.'
Diets need to be taken one day at a time. Each new day means a new diet. If yesterday's diet didn't work, it doesn't really matter. Whether we diet tomorrow or not doesn't matter, either. What does matter is today. Too often we get caught up thinking about all the things we haven't done or dreaming of all the things we ought to do, and we have no time to actually do the things we have set before us right now. God's people live in the present. They learn from the past and hope for the future, but they make the most of every single moment of every day. Live for today and see the miracles begin.
Isaiah 43:2
'When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.'
Diets are endurance tests. How long can we hope when we feel as if the end of our trial is nowhere in sight? There will be an end to our diets, even though we often can't see it. It is good to know that God is with us and He is there to listen to us and share with us throughout our diet. God will be faithful to turn every kind of bad situation to good use. God is the source of our hope. Even when we can't see an end, God will give us the strength and determination we need to succeed. We cannot be beaten in our diets as long as we place our hope in God.
Today's thought: I can always make it through just one more day!
Thus saith the Lord; 'Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded,' saith the Lord; 'and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in thine end,' saith the Lord, 'that thy children shall come again to their own border.'Stephanie looked at the pictures from her wedding day. Had she really ever been that thin? How had the pounds found their way onto her body in such a few short years? She determined that she was going to return to her former figure by the end of the year. As a Christmas present to herself and her family, she was going to be able to wear her wedding dress once again. With a great sense of hope, Stephanie worked toward her goal, and as subtly as the pounds had accumulated, they began to melt away. With the help of the Lord, we can always escape the enemy of fat and return to the land of fitness.
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.Barrie never felt good after stuffing himself. He felt weighted down and slow. He was grumpy and irritable. He usually felt sick. Still, when food was around, he couldn't help himself. Other people would watch him eat, and he could tell they thought it was a disgrace. What could he do? Nobody understood how hard it was for him. He wanted to lose weight and pass by second and third helpings, but he just didn't have the willpower. Too bad Barrie didn't have the support of good Christian friends and a commitment to sacrificing for God. With that kind of support, anyone can hope to lose weight.
Today's thought: There's no reason for me to face my diet alone!
Psalm 37:40 And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
Beth thought the program would never end. It had taken her years to control her weight, and it was still hard to be around scrumptious food for very long without overindulging. All through the evening, heavenly plates of food moved around the room. It was all Beth could do to resist. Whenever the temptation arose, she closed her eyes and quietly prayed to God for strength. It seemed like an eternity, but the evening finally ended, and she had somehow made it through. With a sigh of relief, she said a quick prayer of thanks as she walked to her car.
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!
