Controlled by the Spirit of God

"You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ." Romans 8:9

This verse jumped out at me. I don't know why it seemed like such a revelation this morning, but we are not controlled by the sinful nature that I always seem to blame for my actions. Instead we are controlled by the Spirit of God who lives inside us. So, we don't need to say "oh, it's that sin nature I'm struggling with." Remind yourself that God's Spirit is in control. And He wants the best for your body since that's His dwelling place. I'm feeling the victory dance of crushing Satan underneath our feet coming on... anyone want to dance with me?

Dear God, thank You that Your Holy Spirit controls us, not our sinful nature. May we keep that in the forefront of our minds as we make choices regarding our bodies today. Lord, may You alone be honored by the 'victory dance' we do... obviously, You alone deserve the praise and recognition for crushing sin and evil and making us healthy, thin and holy! We love you. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Early Will I Seek You

"O God, you are my God, early will I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings." Psalm 63:1-7

One thing I've been learning recently is the importance of seeking God early. There is just something about getting up and starting your day off with what matters, which I think is time with God and His word. Making time with God a priority in your life, to the point of losing a few minutes sleep over it, is of significance. I can't necessarily explain it, but I know for myself that God has told me that He wants to be FIRST. That first includes being the first part of my day. We're to seek Him first, and these verses talk about seeking Him early.

In addition, I'm finding it helpful to get up in the morning and do my exercising before my children wake up. While this is no easy task to roll out of bed before the dawn's light, I believe that it is helping me get my workout in (whereas there are some days that I assume I can take advantage of nap time or another slot in the day only to find that it gets filled with other needs). If I want to be completely unselfish in the time I'm taking to do my exercising, then waking up before my family is key, at least for me.

What these verses offer is a soul satisfied as with the richest of foods. God understands our struggle. He knows what rich foods taste and feel like, and He promises to satisfy our very soul just like that. The thought of being satisfied by God keeps me going. It's not always easy...or, more like it, it's rarely easy to wake up early to do devotions and exercise, but I know God rewards us for being obedient to what He asks us to do. May He bless you richly today!

Dear God, help us to seek You early. Help us seek you FIRST in both timing and in motivation. May we honor and glorify You with our choices. Help getting up early seem more like a privelege than a chore. We thank You and praise You. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Guarding Our Lives

"May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

This week in the Bible study I'm doing, we've been looking at guarding ourselves against the destruction of the enemy. I can honestly say that I've had the most struggle this past week with eating temptations than I've had for over a year. I've been struggling. And I mean REALLY struggling (to the tune of gaining seven pounds!!!) And, I have no one and nothing to blame but me! I need to "seduce-proof" my life with God's Word. So, I will share the lesson with you, giving credit to Beth Moore (2003) and her study on "When Godly People Do Ungodly Things." I wholeheartedly see overeating as an "ungodly thing" that godly people are doing, myself included.

First, we backed up a bit to start with my very favorite Bible verses (1 Thess. 5:16-18) and continued on from there to the verses listed above. I'll write them out here for you:

"Be joyful always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophesies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it. Brothers, pray for us." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-25

Next, we went point by point to look at what Christians who are guarded against both the enemy and his trap of seduction to do ungodly things look like. The profile is broken down as follows (only I put my list in order of the Scripture appearance, which was not the case in the workbook - FYI):

1. She is joyful always (1 Thess. 5:16). Be happy in your faith! So many times people think of Christianity as a drag when in reality it is the best way to experience true joy. Beth Moore likens it to people thinking it's good for us like bran when we really want it to be a chocolate malt. Sooo funny that food comes up over and over again as I study. A relationship with God is good-for-you chocolate that I just know exists in heaven!!!
2. She prays continuously (1 Thess. 5:17).  Beth Moore notes "a pray-without-ceasing relationship with God keeps communication lines open" and she also cautions that "loneliness and insecurity open a soul to seduction." We need to be constantly talking with God, listening to Him, thinking of Him, etc.
3. She gives thanks in all circumstances (1 Thess 5:18). Live 'active gratitude' since "dissatisfaction is a stronghold waiting to happen." We live in such an overindulgent society that we think we always need more, more, more. Have you lost any weight so far? Thank God for it! I've found myself constantly sorry that another pound isn't gone when I haven't been overly gracious for the ones He's taken away. List 10 things in your mind that you are thankful for and go ahead and give God thanks right now!
4. She doesn't put out the Spirit's fire (1 Thess. 5:19). Beth Moore says, "Nothing will be more important to us in seduce-proofing our lives than practicing the Holy Spirit-filled or controlled life." Don't quench the Spirit's fire, which is refining you and making your faith pure. You'll need to listen to the Holy Spirit and heed the warnings to overcome this battle!
5. She doesn't despise instruction, exhortation or warning (1 Thess. 5:20). I thought it was amusing that she noted that sometimes instructions we need don't always come from a source that we like.  But, we need to be "desperate for humility to receive instruction." This is an area where I fall short and need God's grace. We need godly counsel, and we need to listen to it if it lines up with God's Word.
6. She tests all things, holding on to what is good (1 Thess 5:21). We need to recognize what is good by testing and proving it. The only way I personally know how to test whether or not something is good is by aligning it with God's Word. Does it contradict what God specifically says or does it go along with Scripture? What do your godly counselors say, etc? Beth Moore says that in most people, this is an area where the muscles of us Christians tend to be weak and that God will probably fortify them through exercise and repetition. For me personally, my area of weakness is separating feelings from the true 'facts' in testing all things and holding onto what is good.
7. She stays away from every form of evil (1 Thess 5:22). We're reminded that God's promises are Yes and Amen (2 Cor 1:18-20) and that God has a purpose for our lives (1 Corinthians 2:9). We don't need to indulge in evil to get the most out of life; in fact, the opposite is true. We need to rejoice in our Savior on this earth and enjoy the good things He has in store for us by abstaining from sin.
8. She allows God Himself to sanctify her (1 Thess 5:23). This is allowing God access to all parts of us with nothing off-limits. Everything - thoughts, emotions, bodies, every area of our lives - "surrendered and under the safekeeping of God's dominion. Safekeeping basically means set apart." 
9. Her whole spirit, soul and body are kept blameless (1 Thess 5:23). We can't be perfect in this life. But, we can keep our whole spirit, soul and body blameless. Psalm 19:13 says "Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression." Beth Moore writes "living out from under the dominion of willful sin is not only possible; it is our God-given right, our Holy Spirit-empowered reality, and the absolute will of our Father in heaven." Wow! This is another area that I need help in! I want to be blameless and not allow willful sin to rule over me!!!
10. She knows the One who called her is faithful and He will do it. (1 Thess. 5:24). I'll quote right from the workbook for this one: "The seduce-proofed woman has no confidence in her flesh. Nor does she dream that either checking off a list of characteristics or performing a catalog of spiritual disciplines has any power to protect her. She knows that God is faithful, and He will do it. The seduce-proofed believer simply realizes that obedience places her in a posture God delights to bless. Obedience invites Christ to show His incomparable strength in our mortal weakness." God is faithful! He will do it! He's the only One who can, and we just need to be obedient to Him. What a relief!
11. She knows she needs prayer (1 Thess. 5:25). We were asked to list prayer warriors who are interceding for us on a consistent basis. I confess, I couldn't write a single name down. Beth Moore noted that we need to be praying for each other and intercessing for one another with Scripture. She said that we need to enlist others to pray for us and then begin praying for them as well. This will be key in our battle. So, pray for one another. If you're on a team, pray for the other people consistently, using Scripture to strengthen the power of what you're saying. Pray for your family and friends and let them know that you are. And, please pray for me, too. I need it! I've really been struggling lately with losing weight, and I want to be obedient in the above list so that I can be 'blameless' before my God...which includes my body!!!

I know this is a longer post than normal, but I so enjoyed this devotion that I thought you might, too. Let's fortify ourselves against temptation and enemy seduction and live a pure life before our God. And, in the process may we become gorgeously thin and healthy!!!

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for providing steps for us in this journey. God, I'm so grateful we don't just have to take a stab in the dark at the enemy but instead You empower us to live godly lives. Please help every person reading (or writing!) this to be joyful always, pray continuously, give thanks in ALL circumstances, fan the flames of the Spirit's refining fire, test everything and hold onto the good, stay away from EVERY form of evil including overeating or indulging in the wrong types of foods, allow You to sanctify Her through and through and keep her entire soul, spirit and body blameless through not allowing willful sin to rule over her life. Father, we thank You that You are faithful and You are able to do it. You are the only One who can save us and make us healthy and thin. Please help us enlist prayer warriors for this cause. We love You and want to be obedient to Your Word, Lord. Your love is better than life. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Ask Whatever You Wish, And It Will Be Given to You

"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you." John 15:7

I think it's so important that we incorporate Christ into our weight loss journey. It's the only way I've had any success. I had to read God's Word and apply it to my life. I had to see what the Bible said about eating, discipline, working out, and being thin. It's the only way I'm staying even somewhat motivated.

I absolutely love the above verse and the hope it gives us. If we remain in Jesus and His words remain in us, then we can ask for whatever we wish and it will be given to us. This verse doesn't say "ask for more of me and you'll get it" or "ask for anything related to spiritual pursuits and you got it" it says WHATEVER we wish and it will be given to us! And I wish to be skinny! And healthy! And I'm gonna go ahead and ask. Jesus is in my heart, His word is life to me, and I'm believing He is true to what He says and is faithful to fulfill His promises. Hallelujah!

Dear Jesus, thank You for allowing us to remain in You. And, thank You for giving us Your word to remain in our hearts. Lord, we wish to be  thin and healthy, beautiful and financially secure. God, I'd love to be skinny and gorgeous. And, I thank You that You tell us we can ask for whatever we wish. Father, I thank You that You say that our requests will be given to us. God, I can't thank You enough for fulfilling Your promises. The hope that this verse gives me makes me want to jump for joy and cry all at the same time. You are amazing, and I believe in You. Thank You, thank You, thank You. Be glorified today! In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Resolve

^"But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, 'I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.' Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 'Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.' So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom." Daniel 1:8-20

One of the best Bible studies I've completed to date was Beth Moore's "Daniel." I got so much out of God's Word - I would highly recommend it. First, we see in verse 8 that Daniel RESOLVED not to DEFILE himself with food. In the beginning of Daniel (not posted here), the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, with permission from God, had taken some Israelites captive. These were good-looking, intelligent and royal young men (Daniel 1:4). They were to be trained in Babylonian culture (which was far different from the Israelite, or God-worshipping, culture these boys were used to) in preparation for service to the king. Daniel and his friends (who were re-named Babylonian names Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego by the king) chose not to defile themselves with royal food and wine and instead ate and drank healthy.

They were tested in this for 10 days and were better nourished and healthier than the others who ate whatever 'choice' foods were presented to them. And, God honored their resolve and gave them knowledge, understanding and wisdom. When questioned, they were 'ten times better' than the others throughout the kingdom.

In the next chapter, Daniel and his friends were put to their first test when the king had a disturbing dream and they not only had to interpret the dream, they also had to guess the dream first. They prayed, and God answered them. Most of the book of Daniel is about end-time events, and Daniel was given so much information on what was to come and wisdom for his present time. Beth Moore noted, and I wholeheartedly agree, that Daniel might have missed the important call on his life had he not chosen to walk in the way of the Lord from the very beginning. Instead of choosing to blend in with Babylonian culture, he RESOLVED. He chose not to defile himself. And, I think it no coincidence that the very first issue revolved around food. He had to say no to choice foods and wine and stick with water and vegetables. He had to keep his body and mind pure so the Lord could use him.

We know about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace, and how the only thing burned up was the chains that bound them (Daniel 3:25). And, we've heard of Daniel and the lion's den. Some of the other information was new to me, though. Had Daniel not been obedient in the 'small' things of life like his diet, God may not have used him for the bigger things.

If we are going to lose weight, it's going to take RESOLVE. We are going to need to press on when the enemy is tempting us. We're going to have to make up our minds to eat healthy. We are going to have to say no to choice food if we want to see the bigger things God has for us. How I pray that we can meet this challenge! Test yourself for 10 days and see what God can do!

Dear Jesus, I am so honored to learn about You through Your holy Word. There is nothing I enjoy more than receiving new wisdom. We see in this Scripture that You gave knowledge and understanding to these men who resolved not to defile themselves with food. Help us do the same! Give us resolve! Help us withstand temptation. Help us say no to 'choice' food and eat and drink that which is healthy for us. And, may we bring glory to You in the process. We love You, Lord God, and we praise You! In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Enough for the Day

"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.'" Exodus 16:4

I smile when I think about how well God knows us. We think we can hide things from Him, but our all-knowing and loving Heavenly Father knows even our thoughts. In this verse, we see that God understands our need to eat. He created our bodies, and He knows that we need fuel. Eating is not sin. But, eating too much is. The Israelites in this passage were commanded to gather 'enough' for that day. Each person was told to gather "as much as he needs" or one omer per person (Exodus 16:16).

Not all of the Israelites listened. Some folks decided to keep some until the following morning, but it began to smell and was full of maggots (Exodus 16:20). I think of this as a 'scarcity' mentality (which we heard an excellent sermon on at LCBC). We hoard all that we can so that we won't be without. But, we are being disobedient to God when we behave this way.

Growing up in a house of over-eaters, we would often take seconds or eat dessert even if we were full because we knew that if we didn't, it would be gone the next day. And, it really would be gone...but looking back, who really cares?!?! We have to get out of the hoarding mentality if we're going to live godly lives. I started the South Beach Diet right before Thanksgiving one year. My sisters were aghast when I didn't eat potatoes, homemade rolls or pie. I didn't think I could get through it either, but I did. And you know what? I'm still alive to talk about it. The fact that pumpkin pie is only around once a year doesn't mean we have to eat a whole one (which believe me, I could do!).

We need to learn to eat just enough for the day. If that yummy food is gone the next day because another member of our household ate it, that won't kill us. (In fact, in reality it will probably help us in the long run.) We don't need to hoard food. We need to obey God's instructions and take just enough to be a reasonable portion for one person. God created food and even good tasting food (manna was described as tasting like wafers made with honey). But, His instructions were clear...gather enough for each person for the day. He didn't say fill 'er up and keep on going. He tests us to see if we'll be obedient to His instructions.

I will pray that you are able to do this! And, if you don't mind, please pray for me also. I've been falling short of His glory in this area of my life. If you're reading this today, please hold me up in prayer that I can learn this very important life lesson. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You know our struggles. Thank You for creating food for us and also for teaching us how to eat. Please help us take just enough for today. Help us eat proper portions and not hoard food. Help us live generously and eat just enough to be healthy and re-fuel our bodies. May we follow Your instructions wholeheartedly. Thank You for Your Word. We love You, Lord Jesus. In Your name we pray, AMEN!

Every Promise Fulfilled

"Not one of all the Lord's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled." Joshua 21:45

This has not been a good week in my weight loss journey, I'll admit. In fact, as I was telling a friend, I don't even feel like I'm worthy to write this blog with the failures I've allowed myself to experience over the past few days. But, then I remembered - and my friend reminded me - that what these entries are truly about is God's Word. What I have to say doesn't really matter - it's the Holy Bible that has the ability to change our lives.

It's ironic that I recently wrote about Satan's attempts to cast doubt into our minds (see Genesis 3:1). Again, do you feel that God is with you and for you on this journey? Do you feel like He's leading you? Just like the Israelites, God's chosen people, were led on a journey, I feel like this time in my life has been a season of going through the 'wilderness' where God provides for me in the form of manna (is what He gives me "good enough" for me?) and a cloud by day and fire by night (or His Scripture). I'm fully expecting to reach the 'Promised Land' that I've asked God for - a healthy, thin body. And, even though there were many bumps in the road for the Israelites (oh, God, please don't take me round the mountain for 40 years - help me learn my lessons quicker than that!!!), every one of God's promises to them was fulfilled.

If you believe that God led you here, if you believe that you are walking hand-in-hand with the Lord on this weight loss journey, if you know in your heart that God is calling you to a healthier lifestyle and has promised to give you the desires of your heart, then we need to get rid of any seeds of doubt the enemy is casting our way and stand firm on the promises of the Lord. This verse above all but jumped off the page as I was reading my Bible. Not even one promise of the Lord went unfulfilled. God told us that whatever we ask for in the name of Jesus, we'll receive (John 14:13-14). We've asked, and we've believed. Now, we must hold tightly to the promises of God. He is faithful to His Word! Praise Him for it! Tell others what He's doing in your life!

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You that You are faithful. Lord, please forgive us where we have not been. God, we ask again in the name of Jesus to have healthy, thin bodies for Your glory. We thank You that You keep Your promises. Lord, please continue to lead us on this journey. Please don't leave us or forsake us. Please help us realize the 'Promised Land' without having to wander for 40 years. Help us worship You alone. We love You and praise You. In Jesus' name, AMEN!