Rely on the Lord

"The men of Israel were subdued on that occasion, and the men of Judah were victorious because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers." 2 Chronicles 13:18

This morning as I was reading my Bible, I asked God for insight into this weight loss journey. And He is faithful! I was told by my surgeon earlier this week that I should 'take it easy' and not exercise, saying the pain I'm continuing to experience since my surgery (which was over six weeks ago!) is probably because I'm overdoing it. I almost cried on the phone. It's driving me crazy! If I can't exercise, how am I going to continue to lose weight? And yet, the other evening when I decided to go for a jog in this above-freezing weather, I didn't even make it half way to the park before grabbing hold of a tree to keep me upright since I felt like someone was stabbing me in my side.

Frustrated, I cried out to God this morning. And this verse spoke to me. Why were the men of Judah victorious over the men of Israel? After all, wasn't Israel the name of God's chosen nation? This verse tells us that Judah had success because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers. (This was, of course, when Judah had split away from Israel for this period of history.) The leader of Israel at this time was worshiping idols and causing others to sin against the Lord. The men of Judah, however, "had not forsaken" the Lord; in fact, they said "God is with us; He is our leader" (v 12). Judah was being attacked at both the front and rear (v 14) - nonetheless, when they cried out to the Lord, 'God delivered them into their hands' (vs 16).

I realized that I'm feeling a bit defeated - attacked on both sides (not being able to work out and being tempted by food). But, when I feel like I'm at the end of myself, what does the Bible tell me I need to do? I need to cry out to God. For when I rely on Jesus alone, He wins the victory. I can't take credit. It has to be an obvious show of God's amazing glory, might and power. I believe that God can still be victorious when I feel defeated. And may He receive all the honor due His name through it.

Dear Heavenly Father, we confess just like in 2 Chronicles 14:11 "Lord, there is no one like You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this vast army. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You." Father, we pray for the crushing defeat that the men of Judah saw before their eyes. We pray that you not only make us lose weight, You make us positively thin and healthy for Your glory. Lord God, we know that we can't win this battle of the bulge on our own. We see the attack of the enemy before us and behind us. But, God, You are bigger, stronger, more powerful and more wonderful than any enemy and any temptation. Father God, for Your own name and for Your children, we ask for Your help. Make our temples holy and pure for Your dwelling. May we be more like You. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Do It All For the Glory of God

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

As I was driving to school/work today, I was listening to an old Jeremy Riddle CD of my husband's. As I was singing along, I thought about God being love and just all at the same time (in his "Sweetly Broken" song). I thought about how much I don't deserve God's grace, and yet His love is unfailing. I'm so thankful for the cross today. I've been feeling a little emotional lately, probably because of being inside and not getting enough Vitamin D. But, today in particular I was feeling just an overwhelming awe at Christ's work on the cross. He won the victory for us. We are saved through His grace.

It amazes me that God can take an overweight, out-of-shape body like mine and transform it. I don't deserve it. I've done damage to this 'vehicle' God has given me. But, we know that eating less and exercising will get us back to where we belong. It reminds me of little girls who cut their doll's hair and cry when it won't grow back. But, when we (God's children) get a bad haircut, we have hope for new growth. Again, I feel so undeserving of this miracle... my own sin is what got me here. But, Christ died for me (and you!) to restore my relationship with God and my sin is washed away.

If you're feeling like getting healthier is an uphill battle, remember that Christ already walked the uphill battle for you. His grace saves you. His blood covers you. His mercy will renew and strengthen you. His love will amaze you. So, as you worship this awesome God today, as you eat or drink and in whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Dear Heavenly Father, I bow before You in worship. On my face, I praise You for who You are. I am so thankful, God. Thank You for new opportunities. Thank You for never giving up on us. Thank You for new life, new hope, new dreams, new purpose. Thank You that You can restore us. Thank You for the cross. Thank You for Your blood. Thank You for taking away our sin. May we glorify You in ALL we do today, including our eating and drinking. We love You! In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Develop Discipline

"For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life..." Proverbs 6:23

This past weekend, we went to church Saturday night at LCBC. The current sermon series is on "TWISDOM" and the pastor has asked the congregation to read one chapter of Proverbs each day for the day of the month. I thought this sermon was extremely good, and again it spoke right to me as if it were Jesus Himself sitting next to me teaching me. The notes and sermon itself will be available next week at www.lcbcchurch.com, if you're interested in hearing it for yourself.

Anyway, here are a few takeaway points from the sermon that I thought related to our journey of weight loss. First, we learned that discipline is an indispensable tool that will help our lives work well. If we lack discipline, it's hard to lose weight, I believe. At least I've found that true for myself (and how I need the Lord to help me in this area!). Then Pastor David Ashcraft, noting that he was borrowing from another author who's name I missed, gave us pointers for using the tool of discipline well.

First, we have to decide what our goals are - what exactly are we trying to accomplish? Discipline is necessary if we're ever going to reach our full potential. If your goal is to lose 50 pounds, it's going to take some discipline to reach it. If your goal is to lose two pounds, you might just hit it on your own. Are your goals big enough to require discipline? If so, begin praying and asking God to teach you and guide you in the way of discipline.

Second, we need to practice the concept of "delayed gratification." This is the most difficult for me, I think. David Ashcraft noted that we have to get the pain over with first so we can enjoy a season of pleasure. There are many days that I've chosen to nap while my kids nap instead of doing the work I should be doing or sleep in rather than waking up early to exercise. There are many days that I've decided to indulge in tasty food rather than experiencing this season of 'pain' to have the season of pleasure (i.e. healthier and thinner). He likened it to eating the cake first so we can eat the frosting second. But, people who eat the frosting first often have a rough life... not walking in the way of wisdom.

Third, and I think this is also critical for us on this journey, we need to develop the art of "advanced decision making." We need to make decisions while the lights are on and we're not being tempted, i.e. a safe environment. We're not going to just wake up on our own in the morning to do our exercising, we're going to have to set an alarm. The last three days, though, I've turned off my alarm and rolled back over. I need to decide in advance that no matter what, I'm getting out of bed and starting my day by working out my body. I also need to make a meal plan while I'm not starving or being tempted by foods I shouldn't have. When we're making those decisions, the pastor noted we should review the benefits of a disciplined decision while also reviewing the consequences of an undisciplined decision. I need to think of myself in a bathing suit, or not being able to do something fun with my kids because I'm out of shape to make the important decisions to lead a disciplined life. Also, the Bible says we should make our decisions in broad daylight before we're in a sticky situation. According to Proverbs 6:26, if we wait to decide until we're tempted, we're toast!

So, begin by asking yourself, what are the critical decisions I need to make now while it's still broad daylight and I'm not starving and not being tempted? People who embrace discipline usually live lives that work well, but people who are casual or eat the frosting first or rebuke discipline usually don't.

Finally the sermon ended with the phrase "There's no telling where my potential can go, what I can do or who I can impact." Again, there's a higher plan for our weight loss. We're meant to impact lives for Christ. We need to be healthy so God can use us mightily for His glory. If we're napping, overindulging or out of shape, we might miss our calling! I don't want that; I'd rather have discipline in my life. How about you?

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for this message. Thank You that Your Word says: "He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding" Proverbs 15:32. Thank You that we learn from the above verse that discipline is the way to life. God, I must confess that I lack discipline. And, Lord, just like discipline sometimes means punishment, I pray and ask You to discipline me so that I can live to my fullest potential, realize my calling and glorify You. Father, we want to impact others for Your Name. We ask You to help us in practicing the concept of delayed gratification and developing the art of advanced decision making. Help us eat healthier, exercise and lose the weight. God, we need You. We can't stay motivated on our own. We can't lose a pound without You. But, Lord, with You, ALL things are possible. Please don't give up on us! Make us healthy and thin for Your glory. And may we always sing Your praise. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Be Strong & Do the Work

"Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work." 1 Chronicles 28:10

I was reading God's Word again this morning, and this verse made me smile. While I know that this is David speaking to his son Solomon, the correlation between this physical temple and our temple for the Holy Spirit was unmistakable. What did the father tell his son? Be strong and do the work. Obviously it takes work to build a worthy temple for the Lord, so we must be strong and just do it (not to copy the Nike slogan!).

Just before this verse, David says "...acknowledge the God of your father, and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever" 1 Chronicles 28:9. We must serve God with wholehearted devotion, we must have a willing mind, we must have pure motives and we must seek His face along this journey. If we do, God will make us strong to do the work required for building up His temple, i.e. our bodies.

So, let's be strong and do the work!

Dear God, help us along this journey. Help us be strong and do the work required to make our temple, the body where Your Holy Spirit dwells, healthy and thin. May we glorify You today with our hearts, minds, souls, bodies, speech and actions. Forgive us where we fall short of our callings and may we start with a fresh foot forward. Thank You for Your mercy & grace and for saving us through Your Son, Jesus. We love You and praise You today! In Jesus' name, AMEN!

I Lifted the Yoke From Your Neck & Bent Down to Feed You

"I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them." Hosea 11:4

This chapter of Scripture is speaking of God's love for Israel. As I read it, this verse jumped out at me. After doing the "Breaking Free" Bible study by Beth Moore, I realized that being overweight has come from years of bad habits that were started early in my life. As I've said before, I've literally allowed myself to be enslaved to food and my cravings. Picture your life and how much you've eaten and visualize it as a literal yoke on your neck. I allowed myself to become burdened by this sin and yet I couldn't seem to break free from it because I was entangled by it. But, in His Word, God tells us that He loves us so much, He will lift the yoke from our neck. While He's speaking here of the Israelites, His chosen beloved,  I think that the verses apply to us now, who as His children are His beloved, too.

Instead of being yoked to the sin of overindulgence and laziness, we can be led with God's ties of love and cords of human kindness. I would love to walk freely, not yoked to oppression but instead being led by my Father's love. My favorite part is that He will bend down to feed us. In case I missed that this verse was for me, it includes being fed as part of the 'deal.' God will feed us. He will show us what we need to eat. He will lead us with His love. He will break us free from the sin we've allowed to enslave us. He will lift the yoke of obesity from our necks. Later on in Hosea, we see the Lord's heart and His amazing compassion aroused. Let us pray that He will show us the same compassion!

Dear God, we admit that we have sinned against You. We have indulged in food that was not healthy for our temple, which is Your dwelling place. We've chosen to allow ourselves to become so overweight we're not sure if we can even exercise or eat healthier. Lord, there are days I confess that I feel like giving up this journey. But, God, I praise You that You tell us that You lifted the yoke from our neck. We no longer have to go back to our old habits for they have nothing on us. Instead, You lead us with cords of human kindness and ties of love. Lord, help us realize what this means. Father, please forgive us and let Your compassion be aroused. Send Your mercy and help us along this journey of freedom. Allow us to be healthy and thin for Your glory. We love You, Father God. And we praise You and thank You for Your Word. May we continue to learn and obey. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Pour It Out Before the Lord

"At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. David longed for water and said, 'Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!' So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead he poured it out before the Lord. 'God forbid that I should do this!' he said. 'Should I drink the blood of these men who went to risk their lives?' Because they risked their lives to bring it back, David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men." 1 Chronicles 11:16-19

I read this the other morning and it really struck me. I am the type of person who likes to please people. I thought of the three men first. What if I had been one of them? Picture this: your boss asks for something he really needs, and while difficult, you risk everything - even your very life - to give it to him, only for him not to take it after all that. I think I may have been furious! (There again, I guess it depends on your relationship with your boss). If my husband asked me for a drink of water in the middle of the night and I went downstairs to get it only for him to pour it out when I got back, I think I'd be upset. Let alone if I had risked my life to get it!

But, then I thought about David. David was a man after God's heart, and God promised to establish his throne forever, even bringing Jesus as one of his descendants. While David did commit sin in his life, for the most part he obeyed God's commands and did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. We know that he was thirsty. We know he desperately wanted the drink. But, when it was brought back to him, what did he do? The verse tells us: "But he refused to drink it; instead he poured it out before the Lord" (verse 18).

In thinking of my own battle with weight loss, there may be times that I need to have an awkward moment where I tell someone "no thanks" after they've made something delicious for me. I may have to tell them that God forbid me to have it. I also think there are things that may be okay in certain circumstances (after all, God certainly doesn't have a problem with us drinking water!), but God may require us to say 'no.' We may have already had enough to eat, we may still be hungry and yet it's not the right thing for us at the time, or it may be for another reason that we have to 'refuse' it.

David poured out the drink before the Lord. I think this was an act of worship to God, telling the Lord that He meant more to David than anything, even the very water he thirsted for. Food has somehow made its way up my priority list in life, as comfort, as social fun, etc. But, as I'm struggling to lose some weight and glorify God with my body, I'm going to need to lay it down before the Lord and worship Him instead. May God be honored by this action, and may those around us understand our need for refusal.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for this piece of Scripture. Thank You for Your insight into our weight loss battle. God, we long to honor You today. Help us pour out before You whatever we need to; help us refuse what we're supposed to refuse. Give us the strength to worship You alone and not food. God, may we instead thirst for more of You. We love You! Help us be healthy and thin for Your glory. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Godly Sorrow Brings Repentance that Leads to Salvation

"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldy sorrow brings death." 2 Corinthians 7:10

Something that I'm having the most difficult time with in my journey is to remember that overeating and abusing my body is sin. I have bought into the world's view that eating a little too much is okay, that eating things that are wrong for my body is okay. But, I have to remind myself that this same worlds says that having an affair is okay, so long as you and your spouse aren't having a good go at your relationship. The same world says that getting drunk on the weekends is 'normal' and just fine. The same world would lead me into traps that aren't good for me or glorifying to God. It's the Bible that must direct my life and my behavior. The following verses are key to our survival in this battle, I believe: “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred and you are that temple.” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17  For if we view obesity as 'normal' then we will continue to destroy God's temple. Obesity kills people every year. I knew a woman whose lungs collapsed from so much weight on her body and she died. It's sad but true. I don't want to get to that point. I want to glorify God with my body. I want to be able to say no to overeating and eating the wrong types of foods. I want to be able to exercise even when I don't feel like it so that I can keep my temple as sacred.

As I think about my eating over the holidays, I must confess that I went back into the mindset that eating these desserts were okay - after all, it's Christmas! But, truly, this is a 24/7 365-day a year battle between me and sin. I saw the above verse and thought that I need to have some godly sorrow and repent for my behavior. I need to recognize my actions as wrong and allow God to bring my salvation. I don't need to have worldy sorrow where I dwell in the past and keep hold of my regrets. Instead, I must recognize today as a new day, a day where I can serve God with my body and leave temptation behind. This is the day that God can free me from the bondage of the obese-lifestyle where I willingly give myself over to my indulgences and become trapped once again in mentally needing too many calories.

I don't write this with judgment directed at anyone for being overweight. I don't see people and point the finger at their sin. I don't even think about it. Instead, I'm talking about my own battle with gaining weight lately. I need to stop the upward trend, which truly has been sin in my life in allowing myself to revert to old habits. I need to recognize that I'm sinning against the Lord, which brings godly sorrow that brings repentance that leads to salvation. I need my Savior!

Dear Jesus, I am so sorry for sinning against You when I treat my body unhealthily. I recognize that this body is the temple of Your Holy Spirit's dwelling and I'm commanded to treat it well in the Bible. Lord, please forgive me for taking on the world's views that overeating is okay, that indulging our senses for our own pleasure is just fine. God, I'm truly sorry for the choices I've made, and I repent of them. Please change my behavior, my heart and my thoughts. Please save me from this sin and help me glorify You with my body. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

I Can Do Everything Through Him Who Gives Me Strength

"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

How do we begin this New Year? This new decade, even? There's only one way that we can lose weight, exercise and keep our New Year's resolutions. We need to rely on God. Let this verse give you hope today! YOU can do everything (not just some things - everything... even a new workout, a new way of life, etc.) through Him (our holy and precious Lord) who gives YOU strength!!! Be encouraged! And praise our Savior for giving you strength when you didn't think you had any left.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your strength. May it carry us into this New Year. We ask once again to be healthy and thin for Your glory. May You receive the honor and praise that You're due. In Jesus' name, AMEN!