Devotional for Dieters

[Judy Harder]

August 25


Luke 6:37
'Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.'


Kelly was unbearable. She had lost thirty pounds with relative ease, so she ridiculed anyone who couldn't do it as easily as she had. Kelly wasn't being fair. Every person is different. It didn't mean that others weren't as committed or as dedicated as Kelly had been. It was frustrating to try so hard and then have Kelly make fun of you for it. Why couldn't she have a little compassion? After all, she had been obese once! After losing weight, we should be more compassionate than anyone else. It is important to remember how hard losing weight really is. We have a wonderful opportunity to help others when we keep in mind what we've come through.

Today's thought: I hope I can lose my weight without losing my sensitivity toward others!
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[Judy Harder]

August 26


2 Timothy 4:18
And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.


Wes looked at the sign on the refrigerator door: God is watching! What a thought! Everything he did was under God's watchful eye. A slight groan escaped his lips as he thought of the times he'd cheated through the week. He hoped it was worth it. Actually, Wes kind of liked the sign. It made him think, and once he got to thinking, his diet wasn't so bad. God had helped him avoid a lot of unnecessary snacks. There were worse things to have happen to you than to have God watching every move you made. Wes felt pretty confident. With God's help, he was really going to make it through this thing!

Today's thought: God's steering me clear of the fat traps!
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[Judy Harder]

August 27


Ephesians 2:14-15
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace.


As wrong as it was, Rachel had to admit that being thin helped her fit in. She really wasn't a different person now that she was thin, but people sure treated her that way. It was unbelievable that people were so biased against those who were fat. Rachel sighed a prayer of thankfulness to God that He had helped her lose weight. It was hard, being on the outside. Nobody likes being ostracized. She also prayed that God might make people see how unfair it was to judge others based on their appearance. If God could help Rachel lose weight, perhaps He could change the bigotry of some concern-ing obesity.

Today's thought: Fat or skinny, I'm the same person inside!
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[Judy Harder]

August 28


Jeremiah 30:22
'And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.'


The covenant that God made was quite simple: He would be God to a group of people who would accept Him and honor Him. God's promises are always simple and straight-forward. There are never strings attached. God will do everything He can to help us deal with this life. He wants to see His children happy and fulfilled. That is why He will help us when we need His comforting strength. Alone, we just don't have what it takes to make it. With God, however, there is no force on Earth great enough to keep us from our goal. Remember God, and truly He will remember you in time of need.

Today's thought: My willpower comes from the strongest power source around!

[Judy Harder]

August 29


Ephesians 3:16
That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.


Herm couldn't figure out why he wasn't losing weight. He knew he wasn't eating as much as he had before he retired. When he was on the road, he ate like a horse. Now that he was home around the house all the time, he ate a lot less. Something definitely wasn't right. Losing weight requires much more than just changing our eating habits. We need to change our whole outlook on things. Sometimes we need to cut back on food while increasing the amount of exercise we get. Other times we need to give up certain foods altogether. We need to evaluate deep inside how we live out our lives, and make adjustments necessary to succeed in losing weight.

Today's thought: Dieting doesn't happen on its own. It takes a conscious effort!
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[Judy Harder]

August 30


2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.


Another diet. Carla had tried so many times, and she had never come close to succeeding. She wasn't even sure why she was trying again. She knew it would be good for her to lose weight, but she felt beaten before she even began. What would make this time any different from the rest? What makes one attempt different from others is this: confidence. We really have to believe that we can do it. It should help us immensely to know that God believes in us. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He has equipped us with everything we need to succeed. All we have to do is learn to believe.

Today's thought: What I lack in confidence, I make up for with faith!
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[Judy Harder]

August 31


2 Thessalonians 3:16
Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.


Ted felt the material rip the moment he bent over. Funny, that never happened a few years ago. Either his clothes were all shrink-ing or he was filling out a bit. There was just one thing to do about it: He was going to have to lose a few pounds. He'd done it before; he could do it again. A little willpower, a little patience, and a few prayers for strength. Ted was a man who knew his God and be-lieved He would help out. He had never doubted Him, and God had never let him down. It was nice to feel so confident about some-thing. Dieting was easy when you were positive that God would help you work things out.

Today's thought: I'm going to wear clothes I haven't fit into in years
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[Judy Harder]

September 1


2 Corinthians 3:5
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.


Muriel knew she couldn't do it alone. She wasn't strong enough. Her friend Ann told her that one of her strengths was realizing she was weak. Too many of her friends tackled diets on their own and failed miserably. Well, Muriel wasn't going to make the same mistake. She wanted help from the outset. If we realize our weaknesses and limitations, then we are better able to cope with them. God will help us be honest with ourselves, so we can work to turn our weaknesses into strengths. Pray to God for that insight.

Today's thought: What I want to eat and what I need to eat are two different things!
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[Judy Harder]

September 2


Isaiah 41:10
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea,I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.


Ben was afraid to even try a diet. He never had much luck with things that required a lot of willpower on his part. He caved in much too easily. If only someone else would make his decisions for him. He had never been overweight when he lived at home and had his mother around to tell him what to eat and what not to eat. Ben would be the first one to admit that he had no self-control. Unfortunately, we all have to learn to discipline ourselves. God doesn't tell us what to do. He gives us complete freedom, but He will help us have the strength to make right decisions if we ask Him to. Include God, and He will make some wonderful things happen.

Today's thought: True power is the ability to say no!
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[Judy Harder]

September 3


Malachi 3:6
For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.


God was such a big help when Gwen began her diet, but He didn't seem to care much anymore. Lately, Gwen's diet had become almost intolerable. She began to wonder if God knew what she was going through. She had prayed daily when she started her diet, and it had gotten so easy that she really didn't need to pray all the time. Then, it started getting harder. Why did God let that happen? Poor Gwen never realized that God hadn't changed, but she had. She included God all the time at first, then she left Him out more and more. God will help us just as much as we allow Him to. Often we are our own, and God's, worst enemy when we take our lives out of God's hands and put them into our own.

Today's thought: God and I are dieting together!
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