Devotions for Dieters

James 3:4
Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.

David Gregory spoke to groups all over the country. He believed that faith could help people achieve all their goals. He spoke to grossly overweight people, and it had been his faith that had brought him through. Often, people would skeptically confront him as to how he really lost all his weight. His answer never varied. When asked, he would produce a tiny pewter cross from his pocket. All his success, all his power, all his wealth were nothing, compared to the strength of that small symbol. The power of the cross of Christ is unequalled.

Today's thought: With each little loss of weight, I make a greater gain!

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Bible Study

As the world reels under the impact of what some have called an "economic tsunami," one thing is pretty clear: Many corporate leaders made decisions based on greed rather than wisdom. They were lining their own pockets at the expense of everyone else.

So, it's only natural to wonder if considering rewards as a motive for service is not the same issue. Could it be a sign of greed or is it something the Bible approves of? Let's see what God's Word says.

What Does God Say?

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it." (1 Corinthians 9:24, ESV).

What is the prize that Paul is talking about in this verse?

Paul compares the Christian life to a race. How are we to run it?

In light of the comparison Paul makes, what are some of the implications if you want to win the prize?

My Thoughts

If you answered the first question as "salvation," think again. Salvation is a gift (Ephesians 2:8-9), not something that we win by our own efforts. Instead, Paul is talking about rewards. And, instead of seeing it as a sign of greed, he actually urges us to do everything that we can to win them.

My Part

Consider today how you might be able to run the race better and win the prize. Take a sheet of paper and divide it down the middle. On one side, list some of the attitudes/activities that need to be cast off to run the race well (see Hebrews 12:1, Colossians 3:8). On the other side, list some of the attitudes/activities that you should put on (Colossians 3:12).

Spirituality without Religion

Jeremiah 18-19, 2 Timothy 3
Key Verse: 2 Timothy 3:5

One of the sad trends today is spirituality without religion. In a general and widespread way, the interest in being spiritual has grown. People want spirituality, to be known as a spiritual person, to have the benefits of a spiritual life. They just don’t want to be religious.

To be religious is to be perceived as enslaved to a system of rules, regulations, rights and wrongs. In 2 Timothy 2:1-5, Paul describes the antithesis to a "religious" person. Man is at the center of what he describes. He is narcissistic, greedy, proud, looking out for number one. There are no restraints for the non-religious person.

The list of characteristics of this type of person ends with an intriguing phrase: "having a form of godliness but denying its power." This is the spiritual, but not religious, person. He has an outward appearance that looks spiritual, but the reality of a spiritual life is missing. He has never experienced the power of God in his life.

The warning Paul gives is very direct--"Have nothing to do with them" (v. 5). Don't get pulled into the trap. That lifestyle may look appealing, but it is to be avoided. What God wants is godliness that comes from lives changed by His power.

Are you someone who looks right on the outside but have never accepted Christ as your Savior? Make sure, in prayer to God, that you have Christ in your life.

Genesis 22:18

In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.

Make My Life a Blessing

The creed for a lot of parents these days is, "Get even. Live long enough to be a problem to your kids." That's humorous, and in some circumstances, understandable, but it's not very good advice. Abraham's life illustrates a different approach: he lived long enough to be a blessing.

Think what we might have missed had Abraham died at an earlier age. During his first 75 years, he lived as a dutiful son to his father, Terah, and a faithful husband to his wife, Sarah. He was a blessing to these two, but there were many others ahead. Through years of tests and trials God purified his life and taught him obedience. Then finally, at age 99, he stood ready to be a blessing to the whole world. Through his son, born when Abraham was 100, came the Messiah, who would bring hope and salvation to "all the nations of the earth."

Christians should view each year God gives us as an opportunity to be an even greater blessing to those around us. The older we grow, the more blessed our presence should be. We must be careful that the years don't simply increase our litany of complaints or add to our list of ailments. Let's seal our lips against giving unwanted advice; let's be available but not meddlesome. Instead of seeking how we can be blessed, let's seek to be a blessing instead.

Whose life might you bless today? Is there someone you can encourage with a note or phone call? Is there an act of kindness you might do for a neighbor? Accumulate more for yourself than just the years you live; collect the opportunities to be a blessing to others.

Live life to be a blessing, not a bystander.

Haunting Sin

And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.

Samuel had been a judge for many years and was yielding to advanced age. Who would lead the people after his death? Like the sons of Eli before him, both of Samuel's sons, Joel and Abiah, had disqualified themselves for they had "turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment" (1 Samuel 8:3). If Israel did not choose a king and Samuel died, anarchy would once again prevail as it had in the days of the judges, when everyone did "that which was right in his own eyes" (Judges 17:6).

Besides, without a king Israel was missing out on all the pomp and ceremony that the other royal courts of the ancient Near East enjoyed. While the Jews were wandering nomads, unsettled and without a homeland, they cared little about what other nations did or had. But now they had become firmly established in the Promised Land, and all the surrounding nations had a king. Why not Israel?

In the permissive will of God, Saul was to be that king. The son of Kish, a wealthy and influential Benjamite, Saul, as choice for king, may appear to the untrained eye as a matter of pure chance. Sent by his father to round up some stray donkeys and failing to locate them, Saul decided to appeal to Samuel the prophet for assistance in locating the strays. The day before, God had forewarned Samuel that on the morrow a Benjamite, whom he should anoint to be captain over Israel, would approach him. When Saul arrived, there was little question in the priest's mind about his identity. Blessed with natural graces and talents, not to mention that he was head and shoulders taller than any of the other Jews, Saul was the natural selection for king of Israel. But more than this, in the permissive will of God his was also the supernatural selection. Jehovah had decided to give Israel her wish, for better or for worse, and Saul was His selection for the man who would be king.

As the Benjamite approached Samuel, the word of Jehovah came to the priest and he said, "Behold the man." Led to the banquet chamber of the high place, Saul and his servant were seated above the 30 guests who had assembled there. Samuel instructed the cook to bring the best portion of the meat from the sacrifice and place it before Saul. More than this, something that is rarely done, Samuel invited Saul to stay with him that night and sleep upon the top of the house. They arose early, after communing through the night, and made their way through the city, where Samuel took a vial of oil, poured it upon Saul's head, gave him the kiss of homage and anointed him as captain over the Lord's inheritance, the nation Israel (1 Samuel 9:26).

To live in God's permissive will is but to receive temporary blessing. Saul is one of the great tragic figures of Old Testament history. Although selected by God at the cries of the people, he degenerated into a psychopathic condition in which his powers were sapped and his kingdom was rent from his hands. Rejection, defeat and suicide were the inevitable results.

Perhaps it is a mere coincidence, but it is nonetheless striking that when the priest encountered the man who in God's permissive will would become king of the Jews, he said, "Behold the man" (1 Samuel 9:17). Centuries later, when Pilate encountered the man who in God's perfect will would become King of the Jews, he likewise said, "Behold the man!" (John 19:5). Saul's reign was immediately accepted by the people because he was handsome, and they anticipated he would lead Israel successfully into battle against her enemies. Jesus' reign was immediately rejected by the people, for He had "no form nor comeliness" and He never intended to lead His people victoriously against Israel's enemy. Saul was Israel's choice; Jesus is God's choice. How much better off we are to live in His perfect will rather than to settle for His permissive will.

MORNING HYMN
Simply trusting ev'ry day,
Trusting through a stormy way;
Even when my faith is small,
Trusting Jesus that is all.

Consult the Manual

Whenever my wife and I purchase a new appliance, we add another instruction manual to our collection. We have instruction manuals for the various appliances in our home, for the automobile and for office equipment, such as tape recorders, computers and copying machines.

Someone may say, "I wish we had a manual of instruction for life." We do. It's called the Bible, the Word of God. "Your hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments" (v. 73). God made and fashioned us in His image. According to Psalm 139, He had plans for each of our lives before we were born. He gave each of us a unique mind and genetic structure. He wrote into His book the days that He assigned to us, and He planned the best for us. He also wrote a manual to help us live the way we ought.

He gives us the Bible and says, "I want to give you understanding. The better you understand this Book, the better you will understand yourself. You are made in My image. I want to reveal to you from My Word how to use your hands, your feet, your eyes, your ears and your tongue. I want to tell you how My Word can make your heart work the way it is supposed to work." The psalmist says, "Your hands have made me and fashioned me"--that's our origin. "Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments"--that's our operation. The Bible is the operation manual for life.

How strange it is that people try to live their lives without an instruction book. They wonder why their marriages fall apart, why their bodies are in trouble and why they've gotten themselves into a jam. Before all else fails, read the Word of God, the instruction manual for everyday living.

* * *

The Word of God covers the spectrum of life and provides guidelines for living in faith. When life presents new challenges and problems, refer to God's operation manual for life. It will help you align with His plans for your life.

Christ in You

Colossians 1:21-29

On the surface, the emphasis of "Christ in you" (Col. 1:27) may not seem so important. But when we grasp the significance of this great truth, our thinking about Christ and ourselves will be changed, and even our prayer life will be changed.

I well remember when I was a young preacher and my father had grasped the glorious truth of "Christ in you." Those were good words to me, but I did not see the importance in them that my father did.

But one of the red-letter days of my life was when God opened my inner eyes and ears to understand what it really is to be in Christ and to have Him in me.

I then experienced a change in my outlook on life in general and in my prayer life in particular. I experienced a new insight and a new understanding of what it means to be able to say, "I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me" (Gal. 2:20).

The Lord Jesus Christ, who walked on this earth and who is now at the Father's right hand, must not only be a leader or teacher to us.

It is not enough that He came, lived, died and rose again; He must be personally received as Saviour, at which time He will take up personal residence in our heart.

And as we study the Scriptures to learn more about Him and apply the truths to our lives, He will be formed in us.

An intellectual acceptance of the facts of Christ's person and work is not sufficient for what we need and want. We certainly need to know those facts, but we must go beyond those facts to place our faith in Him as Saviour and to daily experience His living power in us.

This is the thrust of the Book of Colossians, and that is why I think it is so important.

"At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you" (John 14:20).