Devotional for Dieters

[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!

[Judy Harder]

July 7


Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.


Tim always said that God really didn't help him much. The trouble was, Tim never did much for God, either. He rarely prayed, hardly went to church, and didn't even own a Bible. When someone suggested that Tim might go on a diet, he said dieting didn't do any good. Tim pursued a diet about as apathetically as he pursued God. We will never succeed in anything unless we dedicate ourselves-body, mind, and soul-to achieving our goal. A deep and driving faith can be the perfect model for our diets. If we will strive to lose weight as much as we strive after God, He will bless our effort.

Today's thought: I'm giving everything I've got to losing weight!

[Judy Harder]

July 8


James 5:11
Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.


Gretchen wanted the job so badly. The doctor had told her she had to lose twenty pounds in order to pass the physical. Tina and Ann also had to lose weight to join the company. After a couple of weeks, Tina gave up. One week later, Ann folded, too. They both told Gretchen she was wasting her time. Gretchen didn't care. She held on, got her position, and never once regretted all she had to do to get it. She thanked the Lord that she had the strength to hold on when her friends had given up. Without His help, she never would have made it.

Today's thought: Job lost everything, and God blessed him greatly for what he suffered. If Job can endure, so can I!

[Judy Harder]

July 9


2 Peter 1:10
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fail.


Beverly never let her Bible get very far away from her. At the first tiny pang of hunger, she grabbed it and immersed herself in the Gospels. Feeding on the word of God was much better for her than feeding her face, and it always took her mind off her hunger. God wouldn't let her fail. He gave her strength and commitment when she needed it the most. Her diet had helped make her a much stronger person, spiritually. She had seen God's power to help her lose weight, and it had given her even more confidence in His power to do other things. Beverly knew that her diligence and perseverance came from God and nowhere else.

Today's thought: I am keeping God between me and the refrigerator!

[Judy Harder]

July 10


Romans 8:18
For I reckon that sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us.


Jimmy was fascinated by the cocoon. He watched the caterpillar work on its new home for hours. Everyday he came in to look at the cocoon. When the monarch butterfly finally emerged, Jimmy was delighted. God works some amazing miracles in nature. It shouldn't be so hard to believe that He will work such miracles in the lives of His people. Losing weight might not seem like a miracle, but for those who struggle with their weight, it often feels as if only a miracle will suffice. If God can transform a caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly, He certainly can help us when all we want is to lose weight.

Today's thought: I am one of God's miracles, and He will help me be my best!