Luke 12:29
'And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.'
Clyde was so infuriating! Every time his wife suggested that he go on a diet, he came up with some excuse. Most of the time he just said that diets weren't healthy. He was afraid he would do more harm than good. Clyde knew it was just a dodge. He didn't want to lose weight, and he saw no reason why anyone should want to push him. That all changed when he landed in the hospital with a heart attack brought on because his body simply couldn't carry the weight Clyde contained. Clyde no longer questioned what was right. Instead of doubting the intelligence of dieting, he wondered why he ever been so stupid as to resist it. Sometimes God needs to let us know through crisis what we will not hear normally.
Today's thought: If it's a choice between dieting or dying, I think I'll diet!
Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus
Jessica was doubtful at first. She really didn't believe Mindy when she said the church would be a big help during her diet. Mindy had taken her to see the pastor, and they had told him that they were dieting. She felt silly at first, but the pastor asked regularly how they were doing, and Jessica liked that. It made her feel that what she was doing was important and a good thing. Other members of the church mentioned how good the dieters were looking. Before long, Jessica found that she enjoyed the dieting because she enjoyed the reactions of the church people and didn't want to let them down. Mindy was right: The church helped a lot.
Today's thought: Sharing the load of dieting makes the burden light!
2 Timothy 1:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Brenda decided it was time to lose weight, and she did. Peggy struggled a little bit more, but she lost the pounds she wanted to, also. Tracy wondered why everyone else seemed to do so well, while she did so poorly. Maybe something was wrong with her! Maybe she couldn't lose weight. The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. Often our mind turns out to be our worst enemy when we try to diet. We can alarm ourselves needlessly. Everyone diets differently, and everyone receives different results. There is no place for fear and doubting in dieting. What we need is perseverance and faith that God will help us.
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!
Isaiah 26:3
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Bud believed his doctor really did have his best interests in mind. Bud wouldn't have dieted if anyone else had told him he should, but his doctor carried a little more weight. Bud kept to the diet because he felt it was the right thing to do. Trust was a big factor in making everything work. Trust is a big factor in anything we try to do. Giants of the Christian faith were able to do such great things because they trusted that the Lord was with them. We, perhaps not giants of the faith, need to rest assured that we can trust God and that He will do everything He can to help us lose weight.
Today's thought: The only thing God will let down is my weight!
Proverbs 3:24
When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
Janice remembered long, sleepless nights where she tossed and turned, feeling guilty that she had cheated on her diet or merely crying because she was so enormous. Thank God those nights were long gone. Being fat was not just a physical trauma, but an emotional and mental one, as well. She never realized how much her peace of mind was dependent on her waistline until she took off the excess weight. Now, she had wonderful nights and wonderful days. Her life was transformed. God had been so good to her. She felt she'd been given a new life. This time, she was determined to take care of it.
Today's thought: Losing weight promises a new lease on life!
2 Peter 2:9
The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.
Woody had a weird dream. His hands and arms got so flabby that he couldn't reach out and pick anything up anymore. Before him stood a long table filled with marvelous things to eat, but he was unable to take anything. He woke up sweat-soaked and shuddering. It had seemed so real! He caught a glimpse of himself in the dresser mirror as he sat alone in the night. He was getting awfully plump. Maybe somebody was trying to tell him something. He was no fool. They say that God moves in mysterious ways, and maybe that was true. No reason to push the old luck. Tomorrow the diet begins!
Today's thought: I remember when my eyes could be bigger than my stomach!
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Jerome stepped up in front of the huge audience. Not too long ago, Jerome wouldn't have been caught dead speaking publicly. All that changed when he found he had something to talk about. Jesus Christ had changed his life, and he wanted the whole world to know. Jerome truly believed that anything was possible for him, now that Jesus Christ was the center of his life. That same confidence can be ours when we turn our lives over to Jesus. Christ transforms us and enables us to do things that we doubted were possible before. Trust the Lord to help you lose weight, and watch the miracle begin.
Today's thought: I become more spiritually as I become less physically!
2 Corinthians 12:9
And he said unto me, 'My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
There are times when the hunger pangs get to be almost unbearable. A person gets shaky, she feels weak-kneed and light-headed; it almost feels like an illness. Hunger makes us aware of how really weak we are. A person who is hungry is a person who is humble. It is good for us to realize that we need help, that we are not always able to stand on our own two feet. In those times of weakness, we learn to rely on the true strength: the power of Jesus Christ. Christ comes to us in our moments of weakness, to strengthen and support us. Praise God that He never lets us fail for very long.
Today's thought: Hunger makes me weak; losing weight makes me strong!
Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).
Kelly believed God would help her. At least, she wanted to believe that God would help. Sometimes she wasn't so sure. She'd begin to doubt, then fear would set in, and she'd comfort herself with a bowl of ice cream or a chocolate bar. Then she'd get mad at herself, she'd pray for help once more, and the whole cycle would start again. If only she could stay convinced that God was with her to give her strength. Kelly knew it wasn't God's fault that she kept giving in. It was her own wavering. Perhaps Kelly's prayer should have been for strength of faith, rather than strength of diet will-power.
Today's thought: I don't think God will help me lose weight; I know it!
Job 11:15
For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear.
What a marvelous feeling, being able to stand up in front of the diet group and tell them she had lost forty-four pounds! Marcie never thought she'd see the day. She remembered all the times when, with great embarrassment, she had to confess that she was not even close to her goal. Those days were behind her. All the doubts and guilt were over. The groups had been a great help, too, as God had been. Her faith was a large reason that she was able to stay with it as well as she did. Praise God, everything worked out. She held her head high and shared her great news with the group that had helped her so much.
Today's thought: Doubting never helps get things done!
Revelation 21:7
'He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.'
Chris thought he was going to die. Why did the gym teacher make the fat kids run track? It wasn't human. His pulse was pounding so hard he thought his eyes might pop out. The finish line looked a million miles away. It wasn't worth it. Somehow he had to lose some of his excess baggage. Nobody could go through life feeling as bad as he presently felt. We need to overcome our weight problems. Life is not meant to be a struggle, but a blessed gift from God. If we will work to be overcomers, then God will bless our efforts and carry us over the finish line.
Today's thought: With each pound I drop, I move faster toward my goal!
Psalm 91:3
Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
Bert woke up in a cold sweat. He had dreamed that he was lying on a beach, when suddenly the sand began to shift, and he felt himself being sucked downward. Try as he might, he couldn't twist or turn out of the trap. Every way he moved, the sand gave way. He realized that the only reason he was sinking was due to his weight. The more he fought, the deeper he sank. As the sand closed in over his head, he woke up. Quietly, he prayed that the Lord might rescue him from his prison of flesh. Immediately, he was filled with a spirit of sacrifice and commitment equal to the diet that lay before him.
Today's thought: Without a doubt, I'll win this bout!
Mark 11:24
'Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.'
Abby knew that God hadn't lost her weight for her, but He sure helped her be able to lose it. When she felt most like giving up, He encouraged her and gave her the will to go on. When she was most tempted to break her diet, He reminded her of how important it was to stick with it. When the pounds began to fall, He filled her with a deep joy that insured she would continue. She never forgot to pray, whether it was for help, for strength, or for thanksgiving. Abby hadn't lost the weight all by herself. God helped more than she could ever know.
Today's thought: I'm glad that I'm a loser. . .of weight!
