Devotions for Dieters

Colossians 1:13
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.

Christmas was going to be extra fun this year. Lois hadn't told anyone that she had lost a good deal of weight. More than that, she had been so depressed by her weight problem in the past that she hadn't been much fun to be around. She felt so much better about herself, and she definitely felt better about the holidays. Her life had been lived in the darkness of depression, but the light of God had broken through, much like the star of Bethlehem broke through the Jerusalem sky two thousand years before. The wise men had found the baby Jesus by following its light, and Lois had found a new life of her own, led by the very same saving light of God.

Today's thought: The lightness of my body is due to the light of Christ!

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Born in Tarsus: Does that mean anything to you? Probably not, although most Bible students associate this city with the birthplace of the apostle Paul.

Born in Bethlehem: Now, that carries significance, not only for two and a half billion Christians but for most of the world. Christ's birth in Bethlehem is the most well-known birth of all time--and it was predicted hundreds of years before it happened.

What Does God Say?

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from of old,
From everlasting" (Micah 5:2 NKJV).

1. What does this scripture from Micah foretell?

2. Read Matthew 2:1. Whatdoes this verse tell you about Jesus' birthplace?

3. Why is the Bible's ability to foretell events accurately important to you?

My Thoughts

Have you ever tried to prophesy? Don't answer too quickly. Have you ever tried to predict whether a baby would be a boy or girl? When your wife would come out the mall door? When your daughter would get home from a date? Where the Wheel of Fortune would stop? When your boyfriend would text back? Whether the weatherman is right this time?

All those were efforts to predict the future. And we quickly discover that only God can know for sure what's to come. He not only knows it, He's in charge of it.

The timing of Christmas was set by God long before creation, and everything was perfectly, divinely, timed. That Jesus was born in Bethlehem was not a guess, but a fact that had already been set in reality by the mind and power of God.

"Remember the things I have done in the past.
For I alone am God!
I am God, and there is none like me.
Only I can tell you the future
before it even happens.
Everything I plan will come to pass,
for I do whatever I wish" (Isaiah 46:9-10, NLT).

"But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law" (Galatians 4:4, NLT).

1. Who is the only One who can tell the future?

2. How do you feel when you read the words, "I do whatever I wish?"

3. Write a short Christmas card to God telling Him how grateful you are that "God sent his Son."

My Part

Think about Christmas and the prophecies fulfilled that day. Do you believe, at this Christmastime, that God has a purpose for you? His Word says this:

"You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.

"How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!" (Psalm 139:16-17, NLT).

Thank God that He knows all about you and He has laid out each day of your life. Thank Him that His thoughts toward you are precious, and He is thinking of you often--you can't number the times. Submit to Him anything that you've been struggling with and rest knowing that He is working out His plan for you.

The Difference a Day Can Make

Nahum 1-3, Revelation 14
Key Verse: Revelation 14:1

God does not give us just a hope for a tomorrow. He gives us a hope-filled tomorrow. The opening scene of Revelation 14, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion with the 144,000, comes on the heels of one of the darkest chapters in the Bible. In chapter 13 there is only darkness and apparent defeat for the people of God. But what a difference a chapter can make! The text moves from hopeless to hope-filled and helps us focus on a future of victory and vindication.

The hope-filled future is one of victory as described in verses 1-5. The Lamb stands on Mount Zion, not on the shifting sands of the seashore like the dragon in Revelation 13:1. His followers stand not in defeat, but victory. They stand on Zion, not in exile but in Israel, the place where Messiah will gather the redeemed. They stand and sing, not in sorrow but with a new song, one of redemption and victory. And they stand before God.

The hope-filled future is also one of vindication. The climatic announcements in the remainder of the chapter are of the everlasting Gospel, the fall of Babylon and the torment of the beast worshipers. There is promised rest and more angels of judgment.

If Revelation ended with chapter 13, we would be left with a picture of defeat. But chapter 14 encourages us to patient endurance and to remain faithful to Jesus. There will be victory and vindication.

After reading both Revelation 13 and 14, we should be convinced that God is ultimately in control and nothing should shake us-ever. Since that is true, do not let the events of this day shake you.

1 Kings 11:31�?2

The Tragedy of Division

The pastor of a small church was on his way home when he met an acquaintance from town. After chatting a while the man asked how many members he had. The pastor responded, "Fifty active members." The friend said, "My, that certainly speaks well for you." The preacher responded, "Well, I wouldn’t say that. All fifty are active—but twenty-five are actively working for me and the other twenty-five are actively working against me!"

Solomon’s son Rehoboam had even worse odds. Of the 12 tribes that originally made up the nation of Israel, only 2, Judah and Benjamin, would remain loyal to the house of David. The other 10 would desert him in favor of a leader more to their liking. As history proved, however, this was a mistake. By turning against the lineage of David, God’s chosen one, Israel became ensnared in idolatry and was eventually destroyed in 722 B.C. by the Assyrians.

Division within the Body of Christ is never a good thing. Seldom does it lead to anything beneficial for those involved. People are always hurt and the testimony of the church is tarnished. The apostle Paul said, "For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?" (1 Cor. 3:3). Instead, he advised, "Be at peace among yourselves" (1 Thess. 5:13).

If you are part of a divided church, what might you do to bring about healing and unity? Whom should you go to? Whom should you talk to? What can God and you do together? Ask Him to give you the wisdom to be a peacemaker. Don’t be a part of the problem; be a part of the solution.

Greatly to Be Praised

This psalm has special meaning for me. Several years ago a drunken driver hit me going 80 or 90 miles an hour. When I woke up in the intensive care ward of a hospital with broken bones and lacerations, this is the verse that went through my mind: "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable" (v. 3).

Let's praise God for His greatness. The psalmist says His greatness is eternal. "I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever" (vv. 1,2). We will spend all eternity praising the greatness of God. His greatness also is unsearchable. We can't begin to measure it. We can't know its depth, its height or its breadth. And the greatness of God is memorable. "One generation shall praise Your works to another,... I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty" (vv. 4,5). We must tell the next generation of the greatness of God.

Then the psalmist praises the goodness of God. Verse 7 says, "They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness.... The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works" (vv. 7,9). Verse 8 expounds the grace of the Lord: "The Lord is gracious and full of compassion." Aren't you grateful that He is slow to anger?

All of this leads to the glory of the Lord. "They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, and talk of Your power" (v. 11).

* * *

As finite beings, we can scarcely comprehend God's attributes. But we can certainly praise Him for who He is and what He has done in our lives. Thank God for saving you. Praise Him for His greatness, His goodness, His grace and His glory.

The Glorified Christ

Revelation 1:9-20

In this glorious picture of Christ, He is represented as being completely clothed down to the foot. This was the opposite of Adam who, when he sinned, found himself to be naked.

Our Lord was stripped of His clothing when He died for us on Calvary, but now He has been appointed High Priest and Judge and as such He is fully clothed with the authority of deity upon Him.

He also has the girdle of authority that was given Him because in His coming to this earth He emptied Himself of His heavenly glory and took on the form of a servant.

He was made in the likeness of man and was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Now God has highly exalted Him and given Him a name that is above every name.

So it is as the One with absolute authority in the universe that He examines and warns and comforts the churches.

His examination of the churches is not confined to just congregations as such. The individual is very much included. The churches are made up of persons, and each person is closely examined by the Saviour.

He also stands among the churches as the rightful Judge. He was judged on the cross because of our sins, but now as the resurrected Christ all judgment has been committed into His hand.

What He commands cannot be successfully defied. All will have to listen whether they want to or not. Even those in the graves will, at the right time, hear His voice and come forth. His word is final.

"Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end" (Eph. 3:21).

God's Separation

And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let My people go, that they may serve Me.

In a great many respects the righteous and unrighteous appear to be treated alike in this life. God "maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matthew 5:45). However, lest the righteous begin feeling sorry for themselves, we must not forget that a day of separation is coming when the Shepherd will divide His sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:31-33). The sun will not forever rise on the unrighteous.

But if we look more closely, even in this life God puts a division between His people and those of the world. Satan complained that God had made a hedge around Job. Solomon said that the Lord "is a shield to those who walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of justice, and preserveth the way of His saints" (Proverbs 2:7-8).

A prime example of the Lord's protection for His people is the plagues of Egypt. After his death, there arose a king over Egypt who knew not Joseph. The Israelites became slaves with taskmasters set over them to afflict them. Moses was called of God to lead the Jews out of this land of bondage and into the promised land. But when Moses and Aaron confronted the Egyptian king about letting God's people go, the pharaoh only increased the burden on the Jews. The ruler hardened his heart and there began in Egypt a series of plagues the likes of which have not been seen since anywhere in the world.

First, their water supply turned to blood. Then frogs covered the land. Next, it was the plague of lice or gnats. After this the Lord said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh" (Exodus 8:20). The man of God warned the Egyptian king that if he would not let God's people go, the land would become black with flies.

These were not ordinary houseflies but horseflies. They are described by the historian Philo and other travelers as a very severe scourge. More numerous and annoying than houseflies, these gadflies fasten themselves to the human body, especially around the edges of the eyelids, and suck blood from the agonized victim. They would swarm and fill the houses of the Egyptians causing severe pain and distress.

But here for the first time an additional promise is made. God said He would set apart the land of Goshen, where His people Israel dwelt, and absolutely no swarm of flies would enter there. A division between God's people and the people of Egypt was to be formed. In fact, this division meant redemption. God would redeem Israel and protect them from the devastating swarm.

The Bible clearly indicates the purpose of this division was "to the end thou mayest know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth." God's setting apart of the land of Goshen was calculated to impress the worldly Egyptians that Jehovah alone is God. This was no trick of Egyptian magic; it was the direct intervention of God in human affairs. Jehovah caused a plague to fall on the unrighteous and peace to fall on the righteous.

Even today the Lord is separating a people for His name. The believer is set apart as a testimony to the world that Jehovah is God and He is in absolute control of the universe. God's people are to be a distinct and blessed group, in the world but not of it. We are set apart from the penalty of sin that plagues the world around us. Likewise we are set apart unto service for the God who saved us. Let's praise Him today for His grace in our behalf.

MORNING HYMN
O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home!