Devotions for Dieters

When he was young. Luke always came in last. He was never more than an average student; he had never succeeded much in anything he had done. That all changed when he decided to lose weight. He realized that much of his problem was a lousy self-image. He knew he could succeed, even if no one else believed it. He would prove it to himself, if nothing else. His pastor had given a sermon called, 'Be everything you can be,' and Luke was going to give it a shot. God didn't create losers. With God's help, Luke knew he could win. Nothing would stop him now. At long last, Luke was on the road to victory.

Today's thought: I will try to keep my sight on what I want to be soon!

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Do you have a problem with short-term memory loss? I don't mean the glitches that come with (gulp!) getting older; I mean the kind of memory loss that affects your faith, the kind you get when stressful circumstances make you to forget everything God has already done. Let me give you an example.

What Does God Say?

One of Jesus' disciples was a man named Philip. When he first met Jesus, he was eager to go when Jesus said, "Follow Me" (see John 1:43-45). Philip's willingness showed significant faith. But later, in a crowd on a hillside, Philip didn't exhibit the same trust in the Lord. Let's see what happened.

In John 6:5-7, we read, "Lifting up his [Jesus'] eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, 'Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?' He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, 'Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little'" (ESV).

Philip saw the crowd, knew the limits of their grocery budget and promptly forgot all the extraordinary things he'd seen Jesus do (or knew Jesus did). Flip through John 1-5 and look at the power Jesus had already demonstrated: the power to read the heart of a man (1:46-51); the power to turn water to wine (2:6-11); the power to cleanse the temple (2:13-17); the power to offer living water and changed lives (4:7-41); the power to heal at a distance (4:46-54); and the power to make the lame walk (5:1-17).

Yet somehow, when the circumstances grew beyond his comfort level, Philip forgot all he'd learned about Jesus.

Now, Jesus had a reason for asking Philip that question that day on the hillside. John 6:6 tells us, "He [Jesus] said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do" (ESV). He wanted to help Philip understand where his faith needed to grow. Would Philip put his faith in Jesus who had the power to do all things? Or would he be defeated--and forget all Jesus had done in the past--because of the circumstances?

Well, you can read the rest of the story to see how it all worked out. But Philip failed this test. He failed to take everything he knew about Jesus and apply it to this new situation.

Like Philip, we should apply the lessons that past trials have taught us about the Lord and His power to each new challenge. That's the way faith works. Each test and learning experience increases faith. And whenever it's exercised, it expands and grows.

My Thoughts

Hebrews 11 recounts examples of people whose faith was tested by their circumstances. Read Hebrews 11:7-40 and jot down some of the people and the circumstances you find there.

What's the common description or action you see in their stories?

Where did they place their faith?

What did they receive from God?

Hebrews 12:2 describes Jesus as "the founder and perfecter of our faith" (ESV). How does that provide solidity or certainty to your faith?

Second Corinthians 5:6-7 says, "So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight" (ESV).

How did Philip walk?

Which way of walking best describes you?

How does faith give you courage?

My Part

When the circumstances of your life overwhelm you, do you have trouble remembering what God has done for you in the past? Does your faith falter because it feels like Jesus' power has "expired" or it's inadequate for the job?

Instead of living by sight as Philip did, follow the example of Andrew in John 6:8-9: "One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 'There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?'" (ESV). Andrew saw the same situation Philip did, but he took what was at hand and offered it to Jesus, to do whatever He would with it. Andrew recognized that Jesus had the power to do a lot with even a little. That's faith.

So, what do you already know about Jesus? What have you seen Him do in your life?

How can you apply that knowledge, in faith, to your present circumstances? When you do that, you're exercising your faith, giving it a chance to grow and not succumbing to short-term memory loss.

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

Evidence to the Change

Ezekiel 42-44, 1 John 1
Key Verse: 1 John 1:6

There is a simple phrase that goes like this: "Do you walk the walk or just talk the talk?" The alliteration and rhyming make it catchy, easy to remember. But don't lose sight of the insightfulness of the question just because it rolls off the tongue so easily.

The apostle John never pulled his punches. He called for a commitment to Christ that included "walking the walk." To the person who said that he had fellowship with God but lived as if he did not, John's message was blunt: "You lie." Read again verse 6: "If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth."

There are two opposite lifestyles from which we can choose. The one is characterized by wickedness and error. John calls it walking in the dark. The other is characterized by holiness and truth. It is walking in the light. For John there was only one choice, and it is to walk in the light as Jesus is in the light. To walk in darkness is not an option.

When a person is a Christian, his or her life should show that commitment. Christianity is not just forgiveness of sins with no change in lifestyle. We are saved not just from sin but to live a life of godliness. Do you walk the walk?

Consider your words. Do they match your life? You can lie to others and even yourself but never to God. To say you have fellowship is meaningless unless your life gives evidence to the change.

Love Must Serve

1 John 3:11-24

The word for love in 1 John 3:11 does not refer to a sentimental love but is a strong word that describes God. It is the kind of love that recognizes a need and responds to that need.

An illustration of this contrast is seen in the case of Cain, who was of the Wicked One and killed his brother (v. 12). He killed Abel because his own works were evil and his brother's were righteous.

Cain did not have love in his heart because he was not a child of God. He had hatred, and for that reason he murdered Abel.

First John 3:16 shows that true love is climaxed by our being willing to lay down our lives for fellow believers. This is the very opposite of being willing to slander and spread evil reports concerning God's children.

This kind of love is very practical, for John said, "But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" (v. 17).

God expects us to share the temporal and spiritual provisions that He makes for us. How can anyone, looking on this lost world, say that he loves the Lord and yet not seek to make known to the unsaved the unsearchable riches of Christ?

Because the Scriptures say that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him, we need not conclude that a murderer cannot be saved. He can be if he will come to Christ and receive Him as Saviour.

"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:35).

A Complete History

Israel is the only nation for which we have a complete history. We know how it started, how it grew, where it is today and where it will be for the rest of history--thanks to the Word of God.

In Psalm 136 the psalmist reviewed Israel's history. As he looked, he saw the mercy of God. He performed three marvelous ministries for the Israelites: He brought them out; He brought them through; and He brought them in. God wants to care for us in the same way today.

God brought Israel out of the slavery and the bondage of Egypt (vv. 10-12). That's redemption. He then brought them through the Red Sea and the wilderness. Finally, He brought them into the Promised Land. The old generation died off in their unbelief, but the new generation entered in with great glory and power and claimed their inheritance.

God wants to do this for us today. He wants to free us from sin's slavery. He wants to bring us through the deep water and wilderness experiences of life, that He might bring us into the inheritance that He has for us. Our history is already complete with God.

* * *

Today you might be facing some seemingly impossible situation in your life. Trust God to open the way for you. Let Him bring you out of your bondage and through your difficulty and bring you into your inheritance.

1 Kings 1:7

Friends Who Fail

Aristotle claimed that a friend is "one soul dwelling in two bodies." Others have defined a friend as "a person who knows all about us and still likes us." Newspaper columnist Walter Winchell suggested that a friend is one "who walks in when others walk out." However you define a friendship, it is obvious that when a friend fails us, the pain can be devastating.

In his latter days, David experienced the failure of not just one friend but two. One was Joab, David’s nephew and the commander of his armies; the other was Abiathar, the high priest. Both of them sided with Adonijah, David's son and brother of Absalom, when he decided to exalt himself as king. These men had served faithfully with David. Abiathar had been with him as far back as the days when David first fled from Saul (1 Sam. 22:20). And Joab had been the genius behind much of David's success as king. The pain of their treachery must have been excruciating for the aging and ailing king.

How often, even among Christians, do friends fail us. Sometimes they deliberately turn their backs on us; other times they simply vanish from our lives due to unforeseen circumstances such as moving away, sickness or death. Ultimately, all of our friends fail us in some way and we feel hurt. We must know, however, that there is a friend who never fails. The Book of Proverbs says, "There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (18:24). That friend is Jesus. He promised us, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:20).

Are you experiencing the pain of a failed friendship? Has your best friend moved away and left you friendless? Or worse, has someone turned against you and you feel betrayed? Then turn to Jesus. He will understand (His friends did the same to Him), and He will stand by you whatever your circumstances. Jesus is a friend who never fails.

Morning Marching Orders

Cause me to hear Thy lovingkindness in the morning, for in Thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk for I lift up my soul unto Thee.

In today's modern, rushing world, many of us have all we can do to get out of bed in the morning and get to work on time. Often our schedule appears to preclude the possibility of morning devotions. Yet under the old dispensation of the law it was the duty of the priestly tribe of the Levites to rise at dawn and give thanks and praise the Lord (1 Chronicles 23:30). We are not under the dispensation of the law, but as New Testament priests (1 Peter 2:5,9) we too should begin the day with God. If we do, we will have a keen sense of His presence with us throughout the busy hours that follow.

This great truth was obviously known by David. One of the most enjoyable verses to come from his pen is Psalm 143:8, "Cause me to hear Thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in Thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto Thee." In this morning prayer David made two requests: to hear the lovingkindness of God in the morning, and to know the way in which he should walk throughout the day. These two requests bear a definite relationship.

David wanted the lovingkindness of God to engage his thoughts and affections early in the morning. If other thoughts get into our hearts in the morning, we may not be able to burn them away throughout the day. Prayer and praise, reading and meditation will influence our minds for hours throughout the day. Lovingkindness is a favorite theme of David. Simply, lovingkindness is love that shows kindness. By deeds and words it is God living through us to a hurting world. That's the kind of life David wanted to live. The Lord's lovingkindness is our all-sufficient source of joy. Such joy can be sought elsewhere but found only here. It is the divine joy that sweetens every bitter experience of life and makes even those that are sweet, sweeter still. It binds every wound and is the balm for every hurt. It is little wonder that David sought such an experience early in the morning. With that kind of start, what must the rest of the day be like?

The old expression is here very applicable, "Well begun; half done." David began his day well by seeking the Lord and His lovingkindness. Half the battle of a successful day was already won. He continued to ask the Lord to show him the way he should walk throughout the day. Frequently the path we determine to be logical for our daily walk is not the path designed by God. We must keep the same close touch with Him hour after hour that we began with Him in the morning.

Speaking of his mountain-climbing experience, nineteenth century preacher George Barrell Cheever commented on this verse: "The whole valley is surrounded by ranges of regal crags, but the mountain, apparently absolutely inaccessible, is the last point which you would turn for an outlet. A side gorge that sweeps up to the glaciers and snowy pyramids flashing upon you in the opposite direction is the route that you suppose your guide is going to take. So convinced was I that the path must go in that direction that I took a shortcut, which I conceived would bring me again into the mule path at a point under the glaciers; but after scaling precipices and getting lost in a wood of firs in the valley, I was glad to rejoin my friend with the guide and to clamber on in pure ignorance and wonder."

We are tempted to walk our own way when we have no other resource. But as Christians we have a higher resource than our mind. We have the resource of the lovingkindness of God, which can be ours every morning if we but seek it. We should never attempt to walk alone throughout the day and to chart our own course when we have the ability to tap the resources of heaven in the morning and receive our marching orders for the day, marching orders that are always designed to lead to victory. How foolish it is to neglect to seek the Lord in the morning and have to walk without Him the rest of the day.

MORNING HYMN
Thou my everlasting portion,
More than friend or life to me;
All along my pilgrim journey,
Saviour, let me walk with Thee.