Devotions for Dieters

Isaiah 12:5
Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.

Ann went our shopping for a whole new winter wardrobe. Every day of her diet, she had put money away for just this very day. She had set a goal for herself, and she promised to take herself shopping when she reached it. Now was that day, and she was overjoyed. For the first time in years, she wasn't embarrassed to go out for new things. She could walk into normal stores and pull things off the rack to wear. She could find new fashions and not worry about whether they came in her size. The whole world looked brighter. God had been so good to her, and she was thankful. Now she was going to be good to herself!

Today's thought: I'm going to treat myself to a new me!

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Bible Study

A soldier returning from Iraq appeared at his child's school. When he walked into the classroom, all the children looked up in wonder, but one child's mouth gaped open and his eyes grew wide in surprise. He scrambled from his chair and ran, launching himself into the arms of his parent. Have you seen that video on television or YouTube?

Think about how you'll feel when you, as a child of God, see your Lord return.

What Does God Say?

"And now the prize awaits me--the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8, NLT).

"We look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed" (Titus 2:13, NASB).

What can you expect on the day Christ returns?

What makes you personally look forward to that day?

What does Titus 2:13 mean by "the glory of our great God and Savior"?

What are some reasons you might not be anticipating that day?

Read the following verse from 1 John:

"Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2, NKJV).

Dr. Kroll, teacher for Back to the Bible radio and TV, comments on the verse:

"If you are saved, and you want to be like the Lord, you're looking forward to this day that He describes in verse 2--that we'll be like Him--if that's of interest to you, it's probably proof that you are born again, that you're in the family of God."

The apostle Paul adds one other characteristic of those who truly are the children of God.

"For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God's people, which comes from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News"(Colossians 1:4-5, NLT).

My Thoughts

Are you born again? Have you experienced the transforming work of Christ in your life? All those who have trusted Him as Savior and Lord have new life, eternal life, life given to them by the Spirit of God. Now, they are the children of God and love the Lord, His Word, His people and His appearing.

Their heart cry is this:

He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon!"

Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20, NKJV).

My Part

The early Christians had a unique greeting. When meeting Christian brothers or sisters, they would say, "He is coming again." And the response would be "Maybe today."

Imagine the day the Lord returns. What does it look like in your mind's eye? Now, draw the picture that's in your head.

Bible Study from Back to the Bible Copyright © 1996-2008 The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.bibleminute.org/

Acceptable Worship

Ezekiel 5-7, Hebrews 12
Key Verses: Hebrews 12:28-29

Imagine you’ve ordered your favorite pepperoni pizza. The delivery person arrives at your house and greets you with the words, "Here's your anchovy pizza!"

"But I didn't order anchovy. I ordered pepperoni," you would protest.

"Yes, but anchovy is my favorite kind," he replies.

Would this be acceptable? Of course not. While this situation may never happen in the world of pizza, it happens too often in our church pews. We may want God to accept any and all forms of worship, expecting Him to let us approach Him as we want, but He does not. Some of our ideas about God, how we perceive Him to be, and our approaches to worship--based on our wishes, not His will--are not acceptable. Just as we would not accept any and all pizza when we ordered pepperoni, so God does not accept any and all worship. Some is acceptable and some is not.

In an "anything goes" world that has given some people the idea that anything goes in worship as well, it is important for us to understand that when it comes to worship, anything doesn't go. Understanding what is and is not acceptable to God will bring us to a decision point. Either we seek in our worship to please Him or to please ourselves. And when it comes down to doing what we want because it is what we want, we are no longer worshiping God but serving self, satisfying self, putting what we desire above what God requires.

"God, help me know Your will in worship, that my worship will be acceptable to You."

2 Samuel 5:3-4

Age Is No Excuse

Someone once defined middle age as "a brief period of time between being too young to do something and being too old to want to." And there’s truth to that. It seems we spend the first part of our lives being told, "No, you're too young to date. You’re too young to drive. You're too young to get married." Then we spend the latter years of our lives being told, "No, you're too old to start a new career. You're too old to go back to school. You're too old to live alone." In American society, age is often a critical factor.

I suspect when David began to reign at the age of 30 some said, "David, you're too young to be king. We need someone older." By the time he had ruled for 40 years and reached the respectable age of 70, others were probably saying, "David, you're too old to be king over Israel. It's time to turn it over to someone younger." But in God's sight, age is not really an issue.

Scripture indicates that God uses the very young. The prophet Jeremiah said, "Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth" (Jer. 1:6), but God used him anyway. Timothy, too, must have ministered at a very young age, because Paul admonished him, "Let no one despise your youth" (1 Tim. 4:12). On the other hand, there were men like Caleb, who at the age of 85 could still claim, "I wholly followed the Lord" (Josh. 14:6-14). The apostle John continued to minister and, according to tradition, wrote the Book of Revelation in his elder years.

Is someone telling you that you’re too young to serve the Lord? Don't believe it. Is someone telling you that you’re too old to respond to God’s call? Forget it. With God, age is never an excuse. Don’t follow their advice; follow your heart.

Like a Mountain

"As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever" (v. 2). We don't have to know much about geography to understand what the psalmist is saying. It's a declaration we can believe and put to work in our own lives today. God is compared to many things in the Bible. For example, "our God is a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:29). Or, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Ps. 46:1). Here the psalmist says God is like the mountains surrounding Jerusalem. That was the most special city to God and the Jewish people, and it still is. And when the psalmist looked at the mountains surrounding the city, he said, "That's the way God is."

How is God like a mountain? First, a mountain has stability. When the psalmist was a little boy, he saw the mountains surrounding Jerusalem. When he became a young man, those mountains were still there. When he grew older, the mountains were there, and the mountains are still there today. Likewise with God. He is stable, dependable. He doesn't change. God is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8).

Second, a mountain offers security. God surrounds and guards us. He is like Mount Zion to us. Verse 1 says, "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion." In other words, God can make you to be like a mountain also--stable and secure because He is your Refuge and Strength.

Therefore, we should trust Him. Those who trust in the Lord have stability and security. They have all they ever will need. "Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts" (v. 4).

* * *

The next time you need a refuge, remember that God has a special way of caring for His people. The strength and security God gives His people is solid and unchanging. Trust Him.

The War Within

James 4:1-3

James was well aware of the fact that conflict among believers comes from the personal war that goes on within each person.

This conflict within the believer is also referred to in Romans 7:23: "But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members."

Also, Peter warned, "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul" (1 Pet. 2:11).

James's reference to killing was not necessarily referring to taking a person's life but to destroying someone's character. Previously, James dealt with the viciousness of the tongue. When the tongue is out of control, it can be a lethal weapon used for character assassination.

These are sobering words from the Bible, and today more than ever we need to carefully examine our lives. Much bitterness is displayed not only among the unbelieving world but also among those who call themselves Christians.

Sometimes, in the name of Christ and in a desire to be separate from sin, Christians commit sin by bitterly attacking fellow believers.

We are to take a stand against sin, but we must guard our hearts so that the old nature does not take over, allowing the bitterness of hatred to grip us.

Even though we may totally disagree with what another person is doing, we are still commanded as believers to seek that person's highest good.

"He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool" (Prov. 10:18).

Little Things

And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.

Occasionally it is necessary to remind ourselves that success in life often depends upon little things. Little people, little tasks and little responsibilities often loom large in the eyes of God.

The Philistines waged frequent raids on Israel. The leader of the Philistines, a giant of tremendous stature named Goliath of Gath, was probably one of the Anakim (Numbers 13:33; Joshua 11:22), a strain of huge men that Joshua drove out of Hebron and who took refuge among the Philistines. No Israelite was a match for Goliath, especially not little David, who was sent to the battlefield to inquire of the welfare of his three elder brothers, Eliab, Abinadab, and Shammah. David's task was a small one; he was entrusted with very little. Told to take his brothers an ephah of parched corn, ten loaves and ten cheeses for the captain of the army, David set out to the battlefield. This day began with a small task, but it was to be a momentous day in the history of Israel.

"David rose up early in the morning, and left his sheep with a keeper" and engaged in the small chore his father had commissioned to him (1 Samuel 17:20). As he talked with his brothers, behold the Philistine champion came out again to challenge the Israelites. The armies of Israel stood by, trembling in their sandals; but David was appalled and amazed at the fear that paralyzed the Israelite warriors. Not willing to see his nation shamed or his God embarrassed, he inquired why someone did not stand up to the godless Goliath. "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" Immediately his eldest brother whisked him away to quiet him. Someone entrusted with such a small task as bringing bread and cheese to his soldier-brothers should not be so vocal about the cowardice of the Israelite army.

Yes, David had slain the lion and the bear, but he was still slight in the sight of those around him. Those were but small feats; silencing the giant Goliath would be a gargantuan task. Besides, even if David accepted the challenge, he was too small to wear the armor necessary to enter battle with Goliath. His weapon, a sling, was likewise a small implement. Everything about David was small, including his chances of success against the giant. But as we all know, David's God was victorious; the slight shepherd of Israel slew the giant Goliath.

Horatius Banal, reflecting on God's use of that which is small, realized that little things can frequently be used by God to be great things. He wrote, "A holy life is made up of a multitude of small things. It is the little things of the hour and not the great things of the age that fill up a life like that of the Apostle Paul or John or David Brainard or Henry Martyn. Little words, not eloquent speeches or sermons, little deeds, not miracles or battles or one great heroic effort or martyrdom, make up the true Christian life. It's the little constant sunbeam, not the lightning, the waters of Siloam that go softly in their meek mission of refreshment, not the waters of the rivers great and main rushing down in torrent, noise, and force that are the true symbols of the holy life."

There are no small people, small tasks or small responsibilities in the service of God. You can be small only if you fail to take the bread and cheese as God has commanded. How much happier Goliath would have been if little David had stayed home that day.

MORNING HYMN
Little is much, when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame;
There's a crown and you can win it,
If you'll go in Jesus' name.