Devotions for Dieters

Revelation 21:7
'He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.'

Chris thought he was going to die. Why did the gym teacher make the fat kids run track? It wasn't human. His pulse was pounding so hard he thought his eyes might pop out. The finish line looked a million miles away. It wasn't worth it. Somehow he had to lose some of his excess baggage. Nobody could go through life feeling as bad as he presently felt. We need to overcome our weight problems. Life is not meant to be a struggle, but a blessed gift from God. If we will work to be overcomers, then God will bless our efforts and carry us over the finish line.

Today's thought: With each pound I drop, I move faster toward my goal!
Copyright © 2008, Crosswalk.com. http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/fordieters/

Repetition Aids Learning

Song of Solomon 1-3, Galatians 2
Key Verse: Galatians 2:16

Those who are taught how to teach will sooner or later hear that "repetition aids learning." Repeat your point, in a different way, restating so your hearers will have more than one opportunity to learn the lesson.

Sometimes we find repetition in the Bible, and when we read a passage with repetition it should really catch our attention. If God thought it necessary to repeat a point, it is extremely significant.

In Galatians 2:16, we are told the same thing three times. As is pointed out in the New International Study Bible, "Three times it tells us that no one is justified by observing the law, and three times it underscores the indispensable requirement of placing one's faith in Christ." Read the verse again, looking for the repetition. It says that man is "not justified by observing the law . . . . not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified." The point is made, remade and made again!

God repeats it because we struggle to learn this lesson. People try to earn salvation, work their way to heaven, keep the Ten Commandments, even though God clearly says it doesn't work that way. Salvation is by faith alone, never by works or faith and works.

Have you learned this lesson? The final exam is when you die. See if you pass this one question mid-term exam: Why should God let you into heaven? The wrong answer is "works."

God gives salvation to those who believe, who by faith accept Jesus as their Savior. You cannot trust in anything or anyone else and be saved. Make sure your hope is based on Jesus and Him alone.

Joshua 3:1

Early in the Morning

During the American Revolution, it is reported that Colonel Rahl, commander of the British troops at Trenton, New Jersey, was playing cards when a courier brought an urgent message stating that General George Washington was crossing the Delaware River. Rahl put the letter in his pocket and didn't bother to read it until the game finished. Then, realizing the seriousness of the situation, he hurriedly tried to rally his men to meet the coming attack. It was too late. His procrastination was his undoing. He and many of his men were killed, and the rest of the regiment was captured.

Unlike Colonel Rahl, Joshua was one commander who didn't hesitate to take action. The job ahead was a major one: lead the people of Israel across the flooded Jordan and into Canaan. Roaring downward toward the Dead Sea, the current of the Jordan is very swift at Jericho. In addition, the melting snows in the Lebanon mountains caused the river to overflow at this season of the year. The task must have been intimidating. You could understand if Joshua chose to stall as long as possible. But instead of procrastinating, he "rose early in the morning" and began to rally the people for the trip ahead of them.

When faced with tasks that are frightening or disagreeable, many people choose to put them off as long as possible. They find excuses to avoid unpleasant situations or make difficult decisions. But what a mistake that is. Often it only makes matters worse.

If you are faced with a challenging situation, don't procrastinate. Trust in God's strength and wisdom. Claim His promises of presence and protection. Then, get up "early in the morning" and go to it. At the end of the day, you'll be glad you did.

Thanks For Nothing

Sometimes an unanswered prayer is the best thing for us. The psalmist says, "And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul" (v. 15). The Israelites had prayed selfishly. God was feeding them with manna from heaven, angel's food, but they wanted meat. All they had to do every morning was step out of their tents, stoop down and pick up the precious, clean, sweet, life-giving manna. But after a while their old appetites came back. They said, "Oh, if somebody would give us some meat to eat." So God sent them meat, but while they were eating it, many of them died (Num. 11:31-33).

We can learn from this experience. First, selfish prayers are dangerous. How dangerous it is to say, "Oh, God, I simply have to have this." Such prayers are never beneficial. "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures" (James 4:3).

Second, prayer must change our character. The Israelites got their request, but it didn't help their character. In fact, they were in worse shape spiritually after they got what they wanted. The prodigal son said, "Father, give me." He got what he asked for, and it almost ruined him. Then he came home and said, "Father, make me"--and his character changed. He began to be a real son (Luke 15:19). Selfish praying erodes our character, but praying in the will of God builds our character.

Third, we must always pray for God's will. The purpose of prayer, it has well been said, is not to get man's will done in heaven but to get God's will done on earth. Never be afraid to say, "Thy will be done."

* * *

God knows best how to answer your prayers--even whether or not to answer them! The psalmist has given three valuable guidelines for effective prayer. Do you apply these to your prayers? Let God use your prayer time to align you to His will and His point of view. Let Him prepare you for His answer.

Boasting That Brings Blessing!

Galatians 6:11-18

It is remarkable to realize that the crucifixion is a way of life, not just a way of death. Christ's crucifixion was not the end of His redemptive work, for He arose from the grave and provided us with the resurrection life.

Romans 6:7 says, "But he that is dead [has died] is freed from sin." This means that the person who has died is free from the claims, power, slavery and allurements of sin.

The basis for Paul's glorying is the cross of Christ. The Judaizers had sought their own glory, but this led only to failure. The kind of self-life they lived through imposing rules and regulations ended in accomplishments that produced self-glory.

But all of these self-accomplishments were reached in the sphere of the flesh nature and therefore ended in pride.

This has always been a danger facing Christians, and it is no less today. There is too much Christian life and testimony on a fleshly level.

Paul's boast and joy and delight was in the One whom the world had crucified. God set His hand of approval on His Son, who was crucified, by raising Him from the dead.

What is your boast today?

"And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts" (Gal. 5:24).

Author: Theodore Epp
Source: Strength for the Journey
Scripture Reference: Genesis 34:27-36:3

In Spite of Sin, Grace

Genesis 34:27-36:3

God allowed Jacob to go to the depths of sin. Worldliness completely overwhelmed him. He could not have gone any lower, and his family could not have gone any lower.

Their reputation among the people around them was destroyed. They were guilty of murder because of their desire to right a wrong against their family.

Even though Jacob had fallen to the depths of sin, God never stopped working with him. God did not leave Jacob alone until he was back in the center of His will.

God commanded him, "Arise, go up to Beth-el, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother" (Gen. 35:1).

Even though Jacob often turned his back on God, God was never unfaithful to Jacob.

It is wonderful to know that the God of Jacob is our God also. How long-suffering and merciful God is to His own!

With Jeremiah, every believer can say, "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness" (Lam. 3:22,23).

"But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Rom. 5:20).

A Lapse Into Sin

Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.

Our folly and God's grace; if you see one, can the other be far behind? Frequent are the occasions when God's children foolishly mire themselves in difficulty only to have God graciously dig them out. Even the venerable Abraham found himself in this situation more than once.

After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham departed from the groves of Mamre and journeyed south to the Negev. Here he dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, pitching his tent in Gerar. Upon arriving in the south country Abraham hatched a plan which he had tried unsuccessfully in Egypt some twenty years earlier. He instructed his wife, Sarah, to claim that she was his sister.

Because of the disastrous consequences which it previously had brought on the pharaoh of Egypt, it is almost inconceivable that Abraham would try this scheme again. Apparently the stern rebuke Abraham received from Pharaoh had by this time faded from his memory. Still, Abraham had only recently received God's assurance that Sarah was destined to be the mother of the promised seed. By spreading the half truth that she was his sister and therefore eligible for marriage, Abraham placed Sarah's virtue in serious jeopardy. This constituted a foolish lapse in Abraham's usually stellar performance as the friend of God.

The arrival of Abraham and Sarah brought a greeting from Abimelech, the warlike king of Gerar. Having heard that Sarah was unmarried, Abimelech immediately sent and brought her into his harem. This likely was done to ally himself with the rich nomad prince, Abraham. Sarah was by this time ninety years old and probably not the beautiful maid she used to be. Suddenly Abraham's lie had come back to haunt him once again.

The whole course of human history could have been different if it were not for God's intervention. Genesis 20:3 begins, "But God," words which usually indicate the turning point between man's foolishness and God's grace. Abraham had lied about his wife and she was now part of Abimelech's harem. Her virtue would undoubtedly be violated. But God warned the Philistine king in a dream that Sarah was already a man's wife. He also caused Abimelech to be afflicted with an illness which prevented him from coming near Sarah. Thus, miraculously and graciously, the mother of the chosen nation was kept from impurity, not because of the wisdom of Abraham, but because of the grace of God.

In the dream God revealed to Abimelech that, although he had done no wrong, nevertheless he must restore Sarah to her husband. If the king refused, his death and that of all his kingdom would ensue. This was enough to convince Abimelech. The king "rose early in the morning, and called all his servants," relaying the message to them (Genesis 20:8). Respecting the authority of the living God, Abimelech was anxious to heed the divine directives. The Philistine wasted no time in returning Sarah to her husband but not without a sharp rebuke to Abraham. Happy to have his wife back safe and sound, Abraham received the reprimand with a sigh of relief. In return he prayed to God and Abimelech was healed along with his wife and maidservants. The kingdom returned to normal.

Once again God's grace had prevailed over man's folly. The results could have been drastically different, however, had not God's providence overruled man's foolishness. Yet, how much anguish could have been spared both Abraham and Abimelech, both Sarah and the Philistine's wife, if there had not been that one lapse from righteousness. The knowledge that God's grace is waiting in the wings is insufficient grounds for contemplating foolish action. As Abraham finally learned, every friend of God must carefully guard against even slight lapses into the folly of sin (Romans 6:1-4).

MORNING HYMN
Sinners Jesus will receive;
Sound this word of grace to all
Who the heav'nly pathway leave,
All who linger, all who fall.