Devotional for Dieters

[Judy Harder]

May 27


Romans 10:17
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.


'How do I know that God will help me lose weight?' The question comes up often, and there is only one response to give: God will help us in every time of need, and He will never turn us away. That is something we just have to know by faith, and we bolster that faith by listening to the Word of God: the Holy Scriptures. God makes wonderful promises to His people, and He is faithful to keep each and every one. He will help us understand His will, if we will only allow Him to do it in His own time and His own way. Listen to the promises of God and receive faith.

Today's thought: I can't hear God if there's fat between my ears!

[Judy Harder]

May 28


2 Corinthians 4:16
For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.


It is interesting how we feel so much better about ourselves when we lose weight. As the fleshy part of our being diminishes, the spiritual part of us blossoms. As we decrease our body mass, we find that we unburden hidden parts of our being. We are renewed in-side as we take care of the bodies we have been given by God. It is not a matter of being perfect, but of being the best we can possibly be. If we will only keep in mind that we are temples of the most high God, then we will be encouraged to do everything in our power to look and be the best that we are able.

Today's thought: As there is less of me, there is more of God!

[Judy Harder]

May 29


Matthew 21:21
Jesus answered and said unto them, 'Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, +Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea;' it shall be done.'


Most people like to feel they are in control of their lives. When they are manipulated or made to feel helpless, they rebel and fight with everything they can. Funny how many of the same people are people who refuse to be ruled by their passions. They ask themselves, 'What would Jesus have me do and be?' rather than leaping into situations without any forethought. Christ should be the only Ruler of our lives, and when we turn all power over to Him, miraculous things begin to happen.

Today's thought: The same power that withers figs can wither fat!

[Judy Harder]

May 30


Ephesians 6:16
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.


When we diet, we need protection. We really do. Dieting puts us in a very vulnerable position. We are weakened, frustrated, irritable, guilty, and a hundred other things that stir us up constantly. We need a shield to guard us from the onslaught of so many difficult emotions and feelings. The Lord provides us with the shield we need through faith. Believing in a God who cares for us and stands beside us is a great comfort and a very real help in our times of need. God will not let us struggle alone. He is our refuge, our shield against the worst our diets can do to us.

Today's thought: Oh, Lord, please protect me from me!

[Judy Harder]

May 31


Romans 12:3
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.


There were three young men who found they were in need of help from their fathers. The first young man went to his father, but his father told him he didn't deserve any help. The second young man went to his father, but he was told he could have only so much help, then no more. The last young man went to his father, and he was given all the help he needed, and then some. The father let his son know that no matter how much he needed, he could always come to him. Our Father in heaven is like the third father. We need much help in getting through our diets, and we can know through faith that God will always be there to provide us with what we need.

Today's thought: The more I give up, the more God gives!

[Judy Harder]

June 1


1 Corinthians 13:12
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.


One thing would really make dieting easier: Knowing what the results are actually going to look like. When we diet, we have to hold onto some image we have created in our own minds. Perhaps it is an image crafted from an old picture, or a memory of what we looked like so many years ago. Still, there is no tangible goal we can point to and say, 'That is what I will look like when I lose weight.' We have to live in hope of something we want, and hope can be scary. Ask God to help you. He will enable us to believe in what we imagine, even when we can't always see it in reality.

Today's thought: I'll know better why I'm dieting after I'm done!

[Judy Harder]

June 3


Psalm 71:5
For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth.


A friend of mine slipped into a well when he was a child, and all he remembers of the experience was praying to God and awaiting rescue. He recounts how he felt no fear because he knew God would get him out of his trouble. He placed his hope in the Lord, and he was not disappointed. Being overweight can sometimes feel like being in the bottom of a deep, dark well, with no way out. But we do have a way out. The Lord is a lifeline and a Savior indeed. If we will place our trust in Him, He will be faithful to lift us out of the dark places and set us fully in the light.

Today's thought: Lift me from my well of obesity!

[Judy Harder]

June 4


Romans 5:5
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.


There will be those days when we feel we're never going to lose any weight. No matter what we do, the pounds stick with us, and we begin to feel foolish for ever supposing we could lose weight. We find ourselves ashamed for believing that we can lose weight and ashamed at having such defeatist thoughts. It's a very hard position to be in. Luckily, we never really have to feel ashamed of the things we try to do that are good and right. Even though we sometimes lose heart, we still have the love and support of the Lord, who will strengthen us and guide us through His Spirit.

Today's thought: I'm proud of what I'm trying to do!

[Judy Harder]

June 5


1 Peter 1:13
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.


Fighters have to prepare for their bouts in every way possible. They train for a long time, working toward physical perfection. They eat properly, they rest regularly, they follow the instruction of their trainers closely, and they psych themselves up. Psyching entails a preparation of the mind that equals the preparation of the body. Dieters need that kind of mental preparation. As the Scrip-ture says, we must 'gird up the loins' of our minds. We are fighters against fatness, and the only way we can hope to be victorious is to prepare ourselves completely, day by day, in body, spirit, and mind.

Today's thought: I'm ready for a good fight against fat!

[Judy Harder]

June 6


Luke 5:12
And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, 'Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.'


Being overweight can sometimes feel like having leprosy. Fatness sets us apart from others and makes us feel different. We feel like outcasts, rejected by our 'thin is in' society. Our greatest hope comes to us through the power of the Lord, who is willing to help us in every way possible in our attempts to lose weight. Like the man full of leprosy, all we need do is stretch out our hands to Jesus, and He will make us clean. We do not have to live as outcasts, but are full members of the glorious family of our Lord, and He is waiting to welcome us.

Today's thought: Fitness, as well as cleanliness, is next to godliness.