Devotional for Dieters

[Judy Harder]

May 7


Galatians 3:26
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.


Sarah loved chocolate, but when her parents found out she was seriously allergic to it, they made sure she never got any Some-times when they were out, she would beg for some chocolate, but her parents never wavered. They allowed her other treats, but they were able to stand firm in their denial of chocolate out of the love they had for their daughter. Our Lord watches all of us as beloved children. He wants us to have good things, but not things that are harmful to us. Overeat-ing is indeed harmful, so we should not be surprised that God doesn't want us to do it.

Today's thought: Lord, help me avoid things that could harm me.

[Judy Harder]

May 8


2 Chronicles 20:20
And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, 'Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.'


Too many people fail in their endeavors because they have no backup system. When their own strength fails, they have nothing to fall back on. We Christians have a special advantage in the person of Jesus Christ. When we call out to Him, He is faithful to save us. When we believe in God, He establishes us and helps us attain the desire of our hearts. We need never doubt, as long as the power of the living Lord is on our side.

Today's thought: All my friends may rely on their own devices, but I will rely on the One who makes all things possible: Jesus Christ the Lord.

[Judy Harder]

May 9


John 20:29
Jesus saith unto him, 'Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.'


Too many of us suffer from Missouri disease. Missourians are noted for their skepticism, and that is why Missouri is known as the 'show me' state. We look for some kind of impressive, spectacular sign. If we don't get it, then we disregard the source. God doesn't work through flashy signs and gimmicks. God works quietly and intimately, and He works His will in His own time. We may not always see the results when we want to, but relax; the Lord is at work, and we need have no fear that He will let us down.

Today's thought: The Lord is helping me, whether I can sense it or not.

[Judy Harder]

May 10


Matthew 17:20
And Jesus said unto them, 'Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, +Remove hence to yonder place;' and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.'


Too often we miss the point of the mustard seed. We think quantity of faith is the determining factor in getting our hearts' desires. Quantity has nothing to do with it. Jesus used the mustard seed to show that we all have at least that much faith, and if we will learn to employ it, we will see miraculous things happen in our lives. Because of Christ in our lives, nothing is impossible for us, in-cluding our diets.

Today's thought: If I can remove mountains, then I can remove pounds!

[Judy Harder]

May 11


1 John 5:4
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.


When Jesus faced the devil in the wilderness, He was weak and hungry. He had fasted long and hard, and He would have given anything to be able to break that fast. Bread is a great temptation to a starving man. Yet, Jesus refused to give in to the temptations of the devil. No matter how enticing Satan was, Jesus was able to resist him. By resisting the devil, Jesus overcame him, and in so doing, He overcame the world and all it could offer Him. We, too, can overcome the world by having faith in the One who has already triumphed. No temptation on earth can bring us down, because we follow the One who overcame the whole world.

Today's thought: I will turn to Jesus whenever I need a faith lift!

[Judy Harder]

May 12


Romans 8:24
For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?


Gwen stopped by the dress shop every few days to look at the gown she had picked out. Though it was a couple of sizes smaller than she wore, she dreamed of the time she could fit into it. It was a perfect gown. She could visualize in her mind's eye how stunning she would look in it. For the next month, Gwen stuck to a strict diet and made her dream a reality. She lost the two sizes and bought the dress she wanted so badly. We need our dreams, hopes, and plans to make it through our diets. Hope helps us bolster our faith and makes our dreams come true.

Today's thought: Hoping helps believing!

[Judy Harder]

May 13


Hebrews 6:12
That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.


Beverly held a support group at the church every Tuesday morning. Bev had been enormous before she began her diet, and to the amazement of the entire congregation, she had lost two hundred pounds. After losing her weight, Beverly had determined to help others in their fights to lose weight. Many people found help in turning to Beverly, because they knew she could sympathize with what they were experiencing. Other people had little use for Bev, because her way of losing weight was too demanding. Being a Christian often means taking the hard way, but the hard way always offers us the greatest rewards.

Today's thought: Help me to benefit from the faith of others!

[Judy Harder]

May 14


Luke 8:48
And he said unto her, 'Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.'


When all is said and done, the determining factor in our diet is going to be our frame of mind. No one loses weight who doubts he can do it. The mind is a tricky thing, and it will tell us time and again that there is no way we can hope to succeed. It will create all kinds of monsters for us to overcome, and defeating them is not easy. Only the person who is mentally and spiritually prepared stands a chance of overcoming. When we truly believe in ourselves and our Lord, then we can go in peace, knowing that nothing on earth can get the better of us.

Today's thought: God is bigger than any craving my mind and stomach can come up with!

[Judy Harder]

May 15


Matthew 14:31
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, 'O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?'


Peter asked the Lord to allow him to walk on the water. Seeing his Master walking on the waves caused Peter to wish to do likewise. However, once he began his walk, he found himself sinking and afraid. What did the Lord do at this sign of unbelief? Did He allow Peter to sink? Of course not! So long as Jesus is nearby, we need never fear for our lives. Jesus Christ reaches out His hand to us when we get in over our heads. Though He wants us to develop unshakable faith, He is forgiving and loving, and He lifts us up when we are too weak to stand up on our own.

Today's thought: Thank the Lord that Christ holds me up when I'm most down!

[Judy Harder]

May 16


James 5:16
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.


The group began every week by admitting all their transgressions. Having to admit all the wrongs that were done really helped act as a deterrent during the week. It was embarrassing to tell people about the things you shouldn't have eaten, even though they were all friends. What really made a difference was the period of prayer that ended each session. What a source of strength and courage! The group was the best thing Janet had ever gotten into. Dieting was almost a joy when it was done with such good friends. Shar-ing the experience helped Janet make her diet a success.

Today's thought: Confession is good for the soul and for the diet!