"They will not hunger [any] longer, nor by any means will they thirst [any] longer, nor will the sun fall [fig., beat down] on them, nor any heat. (ALT)
Today's reflection gives a bird's eye view of one of the delights of heaven. As dieters, it was not that we experienced hunger more than any other; it is that we focused and dwelled on hunger more than we ought to, if truth be told. We were obsessed with food to the point of obesity, more so than others. Our hunger was not genuine hunger but appetite out-of-control. We relish (no pun intended) that first day of our arrival in heaven where we will not hunger any longer. We will no longer have to get in our quota of daily water to tide us through, for we shall neither thirst. What a joyful day this will be when with what had consumed our thoughts, will no longer be a concern.
With the elimination of self and the putting on of the spirit, we shall no longer be bound to earthly and sensual lusts. We will no longer count calories and measure portions. We will no longer need the scale or the affirmation from others that we did good on our Plan today. God takes care of all these burdensome interests of ours by removing them. No wonder not a better word than heaven can be used to describe our eternal dwelling place. Halelujah!
Today we have the choice at hand to dwell in God's Presence by our worship and praise, or revert to the dining table to eat to our heart's "content." But we know now that food does not appease the deeper need within us for fulfillment. Only God can sustain and fill us. Let us look forward to our arrival in heaven, but in the meantime, let us dwell on the goodness of God in relieving us of overindulgence this day. Be alert! Stay in prayer! This is an ongoing battle while on earth in the body of a dieter.
Herbs "The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin. The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a handmill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into cakes. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down." Numbers 11:7-9
Stop being carried away by varied and strange teachings, for [it is] good [for] the heart [fig., inner self] to continue being established by grace, not by foods, in which the ones having been walking about [in][fig., having been occupied with] were not benefited. (ALT)
Strange teachings can accurately describe the dieter who has not yet been awakened. What strange things we believed. Such as, we can lose 5 or more pounds a week and sustain that pace. We can ignore all forms of activity, especially when the weight becomes more difficult to lose as we prolonged dieters know. We can continue to eat nutritiously dense and high calorie/fat foods. We can eat junk foods and not resemble what we eat health wise as long as there is not weight gain. The list continues of the fallacies we believed we could do alongside our attempts to lose weight. What was your mistaken thoughts?
Being established by grace and not foods is the cure for our plight. Grace is a pure and unmerited gift from God. We learn we have to do our part to lose weight, but the strength to overcome is given by His grace. The forgiveness we have for being so out of control comes from His grace. The ability to say no to a desired binge comes from His grace. We find that we are no longer established by the lust of food, but by the desire for more of God's grace. Fair change off isn't it?
We are no longer occupied by the things that do not benefit us. Grace can never fail us because God is unfailing and inexhaustible. Grace is mentioned 170 times in the Bible. Can you find a favorite grace verse and make that your "meat" for the day? Phm 1:25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in thefruits, that thy master's son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread always at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
Grapes "Ahab said to Naboth, Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth." 1 Kings 21:2
'The one having an ear, let him hear [or, pay attention to, and throughout book] what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To one overcoming, I will give to him to eat from the tree of life which is in [the] middle of the Paradise of My God.' (ALT)
I look with anticipation and dread at this scene in heaven, where yes, we must still deal with food. I can only say this, in half-jest, as a long-term dieter with food addiction problems. Right off the get-go I must add, lest I offend anyone, that the food in heaven shall be calorie free and no longer consumed in sin as we partake.
We discussed briefly the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in an Awakened (issue 5) devotional prior. I hope you have remembered the great difference and the blessing of one and the curse of the other. One is natural and one is supernatural.
What we focus on today is the promise, "I [Jesus] will give him to eat." For those not yet being awakened to victory and success in their weight loss journey, the casual eye reads this as a future promise and does not seek further enlightenment. For those who have had an ear to pay attention, we recognize that God has given us each a particular, unique Plan that works for us. We then, must give all glory to Him and Him alone for feeding us. He is feeding us food choices and plainly showing us that in times past our own choices had always been met with less than success. He is feeding us spiritual choices where each day we have the opportunity to lift our voice of praise for His taking control and Lordship over our life in this troublesome area. Let us continue to face each day with anticipation of the arrival at the Promised Land of goal weight.
Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return
And he answered and spoke unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
As we begin to lose weight amazing things happen that we never credited to obesity before. Our mindset becomes changed. God is removing our iniquity and we begin to feel better about a great many things. But for those that have not yet arrived, this is your thought: Change the way you think and you will change the way you feel. When it is your habit to say, I can't," that is the results you get. When I approached dieting this year, instead of woe is me for having to do this again, I said instead, I can do this for six months. And I did. And God caused my iniquity to pass from me as my "raiment" began to change. It all began with the way I thought, and it all resulted in the way I feel. It is all accomplished working hand in hand with God, and not against him. If you do not believe in yourself, who can believe for you? The answer is, no one. This is something that only you have control of---your mind. And this is something only you have control of---your body. If we but take away the filthy garments of our thoughts, God will give us the change we need.
Take the time to reflect this week how far you have come on the journey. Make the time to thank God for His great and mighty part in this transformation. When we start to think that we did it by sheer willpower, and not the grace of God working within us, we are putting back on filthy garments and in the long run will indeed fall back into the obesity driven appetite. It is God alone that deserves the glory for patiently doing a work within us. Work at keeping this clean garment spotless.
Lord, Thank You for all You have done in doing a wonderful work in me. Thank You for answering my prayers. Thank You for motivation. Thank You for encouragement. Thank You that my health has improved. Help me not to forget all Your benefits. Amen
1.) I believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, without error as originally given; it is the final and infallible authority in matters of faith and practice.
2.) I believe in the Trinity, one God is Three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
3.) I believe that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, that He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, and rose bodily and literally on the third day.
4.) I believe man is by nature lost and in need of a Savior. By repenting of sin and accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior (by faith alone), we become right with God: our sins are forgiven, heaven is our home, and we will live with our Lord and other believers for ever. Good works may evidence our salvation, but we are saved by God's grace apart from our works.
5.) I believe that those who have not received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will be separated from God and experience His judgment forever.
6.) Jesus will one day return to to establish His Kingdom. He will judge the living and the dead.
