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March 18

2 Timothy 1:12
. . .I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

'You can't lose weight. You've never stuck with anything in your whole life.' Those words haunt me all the time-every time I slip and eat something I know I shouldn't. I hate it when people think I'm too weak to succeed in my diet. I hate it even more when I prove them right. Still, being ashamed of failing at my diet is often good for me. If I am ashamed enough, then it helps me stick with it the next time. God has helped me a lot to conquer negative shame. I have committed my diet to Him, and He is true to help me keep on track.

Today's thought: I'll prove to all my skeptical friends that I am capable of losing weight.

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March 19

Romans 8:31
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Let's not call it our diet; let's call it God's diet. No, that doesn't mean God has to lose the weight. It means that we diet because it's what God wants of us. If it's God's diet, then God will help make sure that it goes well. He will bless those who diet in His name. It may sound silly to diet for God, but, as Christians, we are called to do everything in His name. When we live our lives as an offering to God, then we let the whole world know who gives us our strength and courage. If God is for us, then nothing can stand against us.

Today's thought: Dieting for God is a joy and a comfort!

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March 20

Psalm 55:16
As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me.

We went around the circle, telling about the diet plans we had tried. Most of the people said they had no luck, no matter what they tried. I was the only one who had succeeded in losing a considerable amount of weight. Everyone looked expectantly toward me when my time came. I smiled shyly and said, 'The only thing that I did differently from any of you was to pray. I didn't trust any of the diet plans I saw, so I turned to God, instead. You all can try what you want to, but as for me, I'm going to keep putting my faith in God. He's why I'm thin now.'

Today's thought: When all else fails; try God!

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March 21

Hebrews 13:5
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, 'I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.'

'I hate Sheila,' Karen said. 'Ever since she lost weight, she's been impossible to be around. She thinks she's so special.' Unfortunately, Karen suffered from a common problem. Sheila hadn't changed. Karen just felt guilty whenever Sheila came around, because she wasn't able to lose weight like Sheila had. Instead of sharing in Sheila's victory, Karen fell victim to jealousy and a bad conscience. Karen needs to understand that Sheila's victory is not her defeat. God will work with each of us where we are. It takes a brave person to celebrate when others succeed where we have not.

Today's thought: I will rejoice at the example of others who have lost weight!

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March 22

Isaiah 54:10
'For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed,' saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

There are times when we feel God has left us to struggle on our own. No matter how we pray, how we plead, it seems no help will come to us. The temptations mount, and our strength and will-power get weaker and weaker. This is where faith comes in. In those times we feel God is absent from us, we must believe that He is still there. God will never leave us, no matter how we may feel. He stays constant for His children. Nothing can move God from our hearts, and we need to know that. God will give us strength in time of need. He will not abandon us, ever.

Today's thought: I may lose weight, but I can't lose God.

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March 23

Psalm 25:12
What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.

A group at the church decided to help one another lose weight. A friend of one of the members joined the weight-loss group, even though he wasn't a Christian. After four or five sessions, the young man left the group, saying, 'I thought we would help each other not eat. I didn't know you planned to pray and study the Bible. That junk won't help anyone.' As it turned out, the group was quite successful. The young man failed because he wouldn't entertain the idea that God could be any help. Those who believed in God trusted in Him, and they were rewarded.

Today's thought: God is my secret weapon for success!

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March 24

James 4:8
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

The cake looked great. Jim waited as long as he could, then, when his wife left the room, he grabbed a small piece. Thinking he would stuff it quickly into his mouth before his wife returned, he turned quickly, and the cake fell from his hand. He reacted instinctively and snatched the falling cake. As his wife reentered, he tried to hide his cake-covered hand, but to no avail. He was caught, and there was no way to deny it. We need to stick to our diets and keep our hands clean of the foods we know we should avoid. Draw close to God and away from food. It's the best way.

Today's thought: If you cheat, you lose everything but weight!

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March 25

Exodus 33:14
And he said, 'My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.'

The most effective diets are those with planned 'cheating' in them. Just as the children of Israel set aside a day for fasting from their daily bread, Christian dieters should set aside a day to indulge in the foods they enjoy. This makes the dieter more thankful for the special treats, as well as making the diet much more tolerable. It gives us something to look forward to, and it erases guilt from the process. We all need rest, and we will find new strength and courage when we break our diet fast occasionally.

Today's thought: Even dieters deserve a day off.

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March 26

Deuteronomy 33:27
The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee: and shall say, 'Destroy them.'

It's strange to think of food as 'the enemy,' but that's the best way to look at it if we want to be effective in our diets. Taking off the pounds is a battle. In every battle we need ammunition. As Christians, our ammunition comes from the Spirit of God that dwells within us all the time. God becomes our fortress; our refuge against the assaults of fattening foods. If we think we can fight the battle alone, we will find it doesn't take long before we tire. At those times we will wish we had someone to take over. Thank the Lord that God is there, and He never tires of fighting alongside His children.

Today's thought: Dieting makes losers winners!

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March 27

Psalm 84:11
For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

I can remember a time when I was on the verge of tears because I was so hungry. I had fasted for almost five straight days, and some friends of mine walked in eating cheeseburgers. The smell assaulted my nose, and the sight of the burgers caused my stomach to clutch and growl. I look back on that incident now and realize that I could not have made it, if it hadn't been for the Lord. When I think of God as my shield, I think of all the times I feel like giving up because I'm too weak to fight. At those times I'm all the more thankful that I have God to rest upon.

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March 28

2 Timothy 2:12
If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us.

Jesus Christ arose from the dead, glorified and renewed. Before He could ascend to this glory, He had to suffer many things. Much in this life requires sacrifice and suffering before we can attain it. Ask any dieter. The road to thinness is a rugged one. Before we can stand up trimmer and healthier, we must buck up and buckle down. There is very little that is pleasant about dieting, except the end result. Jesus Christ understands what it means to sacrifice better than we ever can. By our sufferings we draw closer to Christ. One day we will reign with Him.

Today's thought: The power of Christ lifts me above all suffering!

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March 29

Hebrews 13:6
So that we may boldly say, 'The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.'

In a prison camp, the people were starved for long periods of time. One man seemed unaffected by the treatment he received. While others complained about how hungry they were, this one man stood by silently. Finally, he was asked why he seemed to be doing so well while the others all suffered so. He replied, 'I will not let my captors get the better of me. No matter what they do, they will not wear me down. I am the Lord's, and no one else has any power over my life. Men may take away my food, but only God can truly sustain me.'

Today's thought: The need for bread is all in the head!

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March 30

1 Peter 3:13
And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?

Watch out! There are a lot of people who would take advantage of us, just because we are vulnerable. When we decide to lose weight, we find ourselves weak and looking for easy answers. Unscrupulous doctors, slick marketing gimmicks, and shyster con artists make promises and products purely for profit. They feed on poor people who want nothing more than the easiest way to take off pounds. Thank goodness we have a source of strength to resist such come-ons. God will protect us from running off after gimmicks and tricks. He is the true answer and the only way to succeed in everything we do.

Today's thought: No human plan or gimmick comes close to God's plan!

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March 31

Isaiah 55:12
For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Our God is a God with a plan for His creation. Everything was created for a reason. God created us in His image, and His plan for us is to live a full, joyful, creative existence. We can best do this by keeping ourselves fit and trim and healthy. God rejoices, as does all His creation, when we live up to the potential He created in each one of us. When we succeed in our dieting attempts, we take a step toward fulfilling our purpose in life, and we go forth in joy and peace which passes any earthly joy or peace. Praise the Lord.

Today's thought: Thank you, Lord, for bringing me this far!

April 1

James 1:4
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if there were a magic wand that we could wave, and suddenly the pounds would melt from our flesh and we would be the perfect weight? I know of no one who would choose the rigors and demands of a diet over a magic wand. Unfortunately, there are no magic wands, and the only way we can lose weight is to set ourselves to the task-body, mind, and spirit. We need to ask God's help, that we might remain committed to the task no matter how long it takes. When we call on the Lord, He will grant us the patience we so badly need.

Today's thought: The longer the wait, the less the weight!