Devotional for Dieters

[Judy Harder]

June 27


Psalm 31:24
Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.


Gail's wedding day was getting close. She had vowed to lose fifty pounds by the time she got married. She was within ten pounds of her goal, but the last ten pounds were the hardest. She was so worried that she might not make it. She sat alone, looking at the dress, and then she bowed her head to pray. As she asked the Lord for help, she renewed her promise to do everything she could to lose the weight. Suddenly, deep inside, she knew she was going to make it. Everything she hoped for would work out, because the Lord was giving her the strength and courage she needed to succeed.

Today's thought: When God says it will work out, it works out!

[Judy Harder]

June 28


Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.


Jeffrey never wanted to put anybody out. Instead of asking for help, he would struggle along on his own. Often, Jeffrey didn't get anything accomplished because he refused to impose on anyone else. Sometimes, we act that way with God. We ask ourselves why God would be interested in helping us solve our problems. The thing is, God wants us to come to Him with our heartfelt needs. We have been invited to come before the throne of grace, and that includes with our diets. When we're honest, we'll admit that we need help, and there is no greater source of help than God.

Today's thought: Our hope to lose weight becomes reality when we put our trust in God.

[Judy Harder]

June 29


Philippians 3:8
. . .I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.


A young man dreamed that he was standing before a table spread with a wide array of tantalizing foods. Beyond the table stood Jesus. The young man began eating the food, and he became com-pletely engrossed in his consumption. When he finished, Jesus was gone, and he didn't know where to look to find Him. Whenever we engage in gluttony of any kind, our attention is turned from Christ to our own selfish wants. There should be nothing more important in our lives than doing what is pleasing to God. He wants us to be the best we can possibly be. Food, and our love of food, should always take a second place to our love of the Lord.

Today's thought: Eating pleases me; dieting pleases God!

[Judy Harder]

June 30


Galatians 6:9
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.


Gwen hadn't seen Ed in almost five years. When they had last been together, she had been very overweight. She had struggled and fought to lose over the years, and she was quite proud of what she had accomplished. She could hardly wait to see his reaction. That was one of the best things about losing weight: seeing the faces of old friends who could hardly recognize you. The looks she got made the fight worthwhile. Their disbelief made Gwen feel she had performed a miracle. Good things truly did come to those who waited and stuck to their hope. God had blessed her a hundredfold.

Today's thought: What I lose today in weight will be gain in other ways tomorrow!

[Judy Harder]

July 1


Proverbs 2:10-11, 20
When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.


Knowing what is right and doing what is right are completely different matters. Jessica knew she should lose weight, and she knew the way to do that was to cut back on what she was eating. The problem was that she didn't want to give up any of the foods she loved. She just wasn't committed enough. A friend of hers told her that she had all the knowledge she needed in her head, but none of it was in her heart. The reason she couldn't stick to her diet was that she didn't want to lose weight badly enough. When we find ourselves lacking the proper desire, we need to turn to the Lord, to ask His strength for doing what we know to be right.

Today's thought: Dieting is more than a matter of the mind. It's a matter o f the heart!

[Judy Harder]

July 2


Luke 21:19
'In your patience possess ye your souls.'


Arlene asked the Lord for just a little more patience. She looked at the clock. She had eaten lunch just three hours before, and now her stomach was telling her to eat again. She knew she really couldn't need food again so soon. She concentrated all her attention on the project she was working on and repeated again and again that she wasn't hungry. Before she knew it, she was finishing the project, her hunger had died down, and it was almost five o'clock. Quickly, Arlene thanked God for helping her hang on awhile. It wasn't nearly as hard to get by with God giving her strength and support.

Today's thought: Decide to control your stomach instead of letting it control you!

[Judy Harder]

July 3


Matthew 10:22
'And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.'


Christ has a powerful lesson for those who choose to diet. Dieting makes us different, and it is never easy to be different. Being Christians made the disciples different, and they had to suffer many things for their difference. People who are different are often excluded by others. Sometimes they are even abused and persecuted for their differences. There was only one reason the disciples were able to persevere in their faith, and that was the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. That same Spirit can give us the power to be different and the strength to persevere, even through a tough diet.

Today's thought: Christ helps those who choose to be different!

[Judy Harder]

July 4


James 1:12
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.


Christ allows us to declare a special kind of independence from the prison of obesity. Prisoners endure their captivity because they believe that they will one day find release. Through perseverance we earn the right to declare our independence from fat. God will stand with us as we fight for a healthier, more slender body. His Holy Spirit will help us withstand the temptations of rich, fattening foods, and He promises to bless our efforts to do what is right and good. Let us celebrate the freedom from flesh that God will help us achieve.

Today's thought: Faith in Christ can lead to freedom from fat!

[Judy Harder]

July 5


Romans 5:3-4
. . .we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope.


The first week had been the toughest. Perry had paced back and forth past the refrigerator a thousand times. His hunger was so intense that it made him feel ill. He stuck with it a week, but he didn't lose much weight. He decided that he would diet at least one more week. Then it happened. A few pounds came off. Perry felt better. He felt more hopeful. The longer he dieted, the easier it got; especially when he could see some results. Dieting is tough. It takes a lot of patience to wait for the first few results, but when they finally come, they offer us the hope we need to stick with it.

Today's thought: God gives us hope in order to cope!

[Judy Harder]

July 6


Galatians 6:9
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.


Janet was tired of dieting. She had been at it for almost six months. She looked better, and knew that she was doing the right thing. Taking the pounds off had been hard, but sometimes Janet felt that keeping them off was even harder. Thin people didn't understand that dieting wasn't just something to do to lose weight. For a person with weight problems, it had to be a way of life. God knows that dieting is hard. He knows dieting can be a bore. More than that, He knows we need help to diet. Rely on God. He won't let you down.

Today's thought: I will take dieting one day at a time, one pound at a time