Devotional for Dieters

[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 2


1 John 3:2-3
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.


Sometimes we fool ourselves into believing that to be like Jesus means to act like Him or think like Him or pray like Him, and we ignore that we should try to look like Him, too. We don't know that Jesus was thin, but we can be confident that He was not overweight, because He preached moderation and denounced gluttony. He cared for Himself, and He called others to care for themselves, also. How wonderful it would be to be able to stand face-to-face with our Lord and to mirror Him in both His spiritual and physical perfection!

Today's thought: When people look at me, I want them to see Jesus!

[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.

[Judy Harder]

June 7


1 John 3:3
And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.


One of the best side effects of dieting is the purging our bodies receive. Interestingly, our bodies function best when we eat less. We don't overload our systems, and therefore they work better. Our bodies get cleaned out, and we feel better. It is easy to forget that we are helping our bodies operate at peak efficiency, and that our dieting cleans our entire system. Few people would mind feeling great, and God wishes for all of us a healthy, happy life. He created our systems to maintain themselves, but they can only do so if we will respect them and care for them properly.

Today's thought: My body's in need of a good spring cleaning!

[Judy Harder]

June 8


Matthew 9:28
And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, 'Believe ye that I am able to do this?' They said unto him, 'Yea, Lord.'


Doubt is a killer. It kills our enthusiasm, our faith, our hope, our initiative, and our dedication. When we begin to doubt that we can succeed in our diet attempts, we lose the most vital ingredient for success. You have to believe. In Scripture, Jesus often asked people if they believed He could do miracles. When they said yes, fantastic things happened, but when they said no, nothing happened. We need to say yes to God and believe He will bless all of our attempts to lose weight. With God on our side, there is absolutely no reason for doubt to affect us at all.

Today's thought: I'll try to believe, so more pounds will leave.

[Judy Harder]

June 9


Hebrews 6:11-12
And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.


Dr. Davidson always had a policy with his patients who tried to lose weight. If he wanted them to lose twenty pounds, he told them they were to lose thirty. If they were to lose fifty pounds, he told them seventy-five. He knew that people would set their minds toward their goal, but that most of them would tire along the way. To counteract that, he always set a goal that was beyond what was actually necessary. Though people did indeed tire before they reached the goal Dr. Davidson set, they did not give up before they reached the point they really needed to attain. Sustaining our energy for a diet is hard, but with the hand of God guiding us, we can make it.

Today's thought: The only thing I will give up is weight!

[Judy Harder]

June 10


1 Peter 1:8
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.


When it's all over, we can hardly belive we struggled so much. The reward of losing weight is so great that it wipes out all the bad memories along the way. We experience such a sense of triumph and joy, accomplishment and goodwill. We feel a power from within that helps us believe that anything is possible to us, if we will only have patience, courage, and commitment. God has made us conquerors, and He empowers us to do those things which we set our minds and hearts too. When we live life in hope of glories to come and pursue those glories with everything we have, the Lord will reward us and bless us richly.

Today's thought: I may not see it yet, but a new me is right around the corner!