ObesityHelp

Today's devotional is from my journal dated April 11, 2007.

     Today the Lord led me to Micah 6:14, "You will eat, but you will not be satisfied." That's been the story of my life! I eat and eat, but I'm never satisfied.
     I realize that my heart has craved fullness and satisfaction, and I have tried to find it in food. There was an emptiness in me that I tried to fill with food. Even when I was delivered from fear and anxiety, there was still quite a bit of emptiness. Even when all the memories returned (from my past abuses) and I began to deal with them, with Dean's (my counselor's) help, one at a time, and some of the emptiness was replaced by God's love, there was still too much emptiness. I continued to try to fill it with food, even though I didn't realize it.
     I asked the Lord to help me know how to find that true heart-satisfaction, and He led me to John 6:53-58, "Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever."
     I now know that while I had been having a daily quiet time and studying God's Word, I hadn't really been feasting on Jesus. If I can do that, I will be full and satisfied.
     I asked for the Lord to give me a daily, weekly plan that I can use and be successful, that will help me focus less on food and more on Him. This is what He gave me.
Monday: I will eat 1/2 of what I normally eat, eating when I'm truly hungry.
Tuesday: Two meals will be meal-replacement drinks and one meal will be "normal."
Wednesday: This will be my day to fast and pray.
Thursday: I will eat 3 normal meals, without overeating.
Friday: This is a 1/2 day (like Monday).
Saturday: This is the 2 meal-replacement and 1 regular meal day (like Tuesday).
Sunday: This is the 3 normal meals day (like Thursday).
     I am free to change the order, as long as I do not have two of the same meal plan days back to back. I think that perhaps this is to help my metabolism. I will put this plan in place today. This is my monthly fast day, which I signed up for at church, so it's a perfect day to begin.
     The Lord also encouraged me to take Communion daily, as a reminder of His sacrifice that paid for ALL my sins, even the sin of overeating.

Life Plan Devotion #27 [Light]

     I've been thinking about light and darkness, and I realized something. While light can be used to make darkness less dark, darkness can never be used to make light...well, darker. Light makes a difference. If you are a believer, you have the Light of Jesus within you, and you are meant to carry that Light into a dark world. By the very nature of light, your Light will make a difference.
     Light changes everything--our emotions, attitudes, and perceptions. Without the Light of Jesus, there is spiritual darkness. God calls each of us "out of the darkness into His wonderful light." We are called to shine that light and be a blessing to others (I Peter 2:9). As a believer, you have the Light that someone needs. Make sure to let your Light shine.

Matthew 5:14-16
"[Jesus said,] 'You are the light of the world--like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.'"

What this has to do with weight loss:  The weight-loss journey is a life journey, and, as such, there are many joys and concerns attached to it. There are hurting people on that journey, even here at OH.com, and they need Light brought into their world. When you post replies, take your Light into someone's world today. Reply with faith, hope, and love, for that will truly help that person and will bring glory to the Father.

Prayer for today:
"Heavenly Father, You have said that I am light in my world. I am meant to shine, to do good deeds, so that others will praise You. Father, I want You to shine Your Light through me today. Help me to be a bold witness for You. Use me to impact others with and for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I pray in the Name of Jesus, who is the 'true light' (John 1:9). Amen."

Go forth today, and let your Light shine.

Life Plan Devotion #25 [God's Timing]

     God's timing is perfect. I know that's hard to believe, when you're in the middle of a difficult circumstance and you feel either that it should not have happened or it should change right now. "Where is God, and why isn't He doing His job?" you ask. Be assured, God is here, and He's working on your situation. He's never early; He's never late; He's right on time...His time.
     If you think about it, you can remember a time when God came through for you, seemingly at the last minute. Perhaps He acted on your behalf in a situation where you deserved a different outcome. Perhaps you were given grace to endure a most difficult situation. Perhaps you didn't get what you prayed for, only to find out later that God's "no" was definitely the best answer. And, yes, there will be situations where the understanding of the "why" and "when" will not happen until you step through Heaven's gate.
     Trust in God's perfect timing, and thank Him in advance for it. That's part of the walk of faith. Remind yourself that if God brought you to it, He'll bring you through it.

Ecclesiastes 3:1
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven."

What this has to do with weight loss:  Timing is everything, even in matters of weight loss. Sometimes insurance approval issues arise, and when they do, if you can trust that God knows if it's the right time or not, you will experience great peace, even in your disappointment. Sometimes your weight-loss results are less than or slower than expected, and when that happens, if you can live in obedience but leave the results up to God, you will experience great peace about the present and great hope about the future. Rest in God's timing, for every situation in your life.

Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, You have reminded me today that there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven. I thank You that I can trust You, my Omniscient (all-knowing), Omnipotent (all-powerful) God. You are the only One who knows me best but loves me most. Thank You for Your careful, loving watch care over me. I will trust Your timing, even when I don't understand it. I ask You to coordinate my life on Your timeline. I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen."

Go forth today, in acceptance of God's perfect timing.

Life Plan Devotion #24 [obedience]

     When my children were small, I taught them a song. I can hear them now, singing, "Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe. Doing exactly what the Lord commands, doing it happily. Action is the key; do it immediately, joy you will receive. Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe." Obedience isn't a lesson just for kids. God desires, requires obedience, and when we learn to be obedient to God's Word, we experience much joy in life. "Easy," you say? What if God asks radical obedience from you?
     In the past week, I've witnessed radical obedience from friends. One, a leader in our church, confessed to the entire congregation that he and his wife have not been good stewards of their money, and now they're forced to file for bankruptcy. God had challenged them to confess and seek forgiveness (from Him and from our church). They have vowed to pay back every creditor, even though not required to do so.
     Another friend has been honest about unclaimed income and has contacted the proper authorities, all without knowing what the repercussions will be. It was the right thing to do. This friend, as well as another, have been nudged by God to forgive the unforgivable. One has been able to, and I believe the other one will get to the place of forgiving.
     When has God asked for radical obedience from you? It's often attached to something we desire to hang on to, perhaps even an area where we fear lack. We may not realize that it is by letting go that we come to a place of peace and provision.

John 14:15
"[Jesus said,] 'If you love Me, you will obey what I command.'"

What this has to do with weight loss:  We know what to do, to release weight and get healthy. We know to exercise, follow the food plan given to us by our doctor or nutritionist, drink at least 64 oz. of fluid daily, and take our prescribed vitamins and supplements. Yet, how often are we truly obedient, 100% compliant? God honors obedience. You do your part, and He will do His.

Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, I love You, and because I love You, I desire to obey what You have commanded in Your Word. I know it's for my own good, and I know that when I am obedient, I experience great joy and peace. Help me today, Lord, to follow Your plan for me, and if You ask radical obedience from me this day, I pray that I will do what You ask of me. In Jesus' Name. Amen."

Go forth today, and be radically obedient.