These daily devotions repeat from year to year. But I will continue posting them. Every time you read something you take away something different. You take away what you need at that moment. Praying for a wonderful New Year for everyone.
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!
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!
Good morning, I just registered for this site. I am looking to connect with other Christians. Thank you for the devotions you've posted! Very encouraging
Good morning, I just registered for this site. I am looking to connect with other Christians. Thank you for the devotions you've posted! Very encouraging
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!
1 Corinthians 6:20
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Sometimes it is difficult to stick with a diet once it has begun. If we are dieting for ourselves, we often lose heart, but if we feel we're dieting for someone else, it can be the motivation we need to stick with it. Every day we make promises to God, and those promises we do everything in our power to keep. God calls us to be the best we can be, physically as well as spiritually. We should commit our diets to God. If we see dieting as a sacrifice we make to God, then we can find a deeper power to remain committed to our efforts to lose weight. Let everything we do honor and glorify God, for that is what truly pleases Him.
Today's thought: We are not alone in our attempt to lose weight!
"and everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things.....but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified" I Corinthinans 9:25a,27
This Scripture is humbling to me, but also an encouragement.
"and everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things.....but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified" I Corinthinans 9:25a,27
This Scripture is humbling to me, but also an encouragement.
Yes, humbling but encouraging. I just read it in different translations to get a better grasp of the meaning.
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!
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!
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.
Devotions for Dieters 2019
