Devotional for Dieters

[Judy Harder]

January 23


2 Samuel 22:21
The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.


Don't expect God to make you thin. You have to do the hard part for yourself. Do know this, however: God will bless you beyond your wildest hopes if you will put forth your best effort and not give up. When we show Him that we really are serious about being better people, He is pleased beyond measure, and He will do all kinds of wonderful things to help us along. When we refuse to give into the temptations, to dirty our hands, then God will reward us and lift us up. All He asks is that we give it our very best effort. If we do that, we will succeed.

Today's thought: God is pleased by my best effort to lose weight.

[Judy Harder]

Psalm 85:13
Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.


Jesus fasted forty days in the wilderness, and He was sustained by His faith. The devil came to Him and tried to tempt Him with bread, but He refused to give in. This is a good image for us to remember when we are dieting. Often we feel we cannot go on when we miss just one meal. Christ proved to us that even after missing meals for forty days, there is still a source of strength other than food. That source is God, and His strength is available to everyone who will ask for it. Let us remember to follow in the steps of Jesus Christ and lean on our heavenly Father whenever we feel weak or tempted.

Today's thought: I am facing nothing that Christ did not face before me.

[Judy Harder]

January 25


Proverbs 16:3
Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts should be established.


A woman I know carried a pocket New Testament with her wherever she went. Often I would see her pull it out of her pocketbook and begin reading. One day I asked her why she seemed so intent on her reading whenever I saw her. She said, 'I read it whenever I get hungry. I'm trying to control my weight, so whenever I feel a physical hunger, I feed myself spiritually instead. It takes my mind off my hunger and puts it where it should be-on the Lord.' What a wonderful lesson. If we will find new ways to include God in our diet, He will turn our thoughts where they need to be!

Today's thought: There are ways to be fed (spiritually without getting fat!)

[Judy Harder]

January 26


Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.


Once we decide something is wrong, (being overweight, for exam-ple), then doing that thing is sinful. Some may say, 'Well, the Bible doesn't say obesity is a sin.' The Bible does tell us that anything we do that makes us less than God created us to be is a sin. To be pure in heart means to try to do everything we know we ought to do. We ought to regard our own bodies with respect. We ought to be an example for others to follow. We ought to do all we can to be all we can. When we stay true to what we know in our hearts is right, then we will be assured of a place with God in His kingdom.

Today's thought: I will do all I can to be all I am meant to be!

[Judy Harder]

January 27


Romans 8:6
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.


There is a gruesome children's story about a little girl who ate so much that she could no longer move. Then it began to rain, and she died of drowning. Sometimes we try to use terror tactics to get children to do what they should do and avoid things that are bad for them. By the time we're adults, we have forgotten the lessons we were taught as children. There is nothing of any lasting good to be gained from overeating. We need to turn away from what we know is bad, to something better. We need to take seriously the consequences of gluttony, and turn toward God, who will help us change our ways.

Today's thought: I must set my mind on more important things than food!

[Judy Harder]

January 28


Psalm 57:3
He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.


There are going to be days when we feel we just can't do it. Everywhere we turn, there is another temptation, another chance to blow it. Occasionally, we might even give in, but that is no reason to give up. Part of being human means we won't succeed every time we try something. That's okay. When we find ourselves in situations where we give in, that is when we need to call on God, asking for forgiveness, strength, and determination. God shall send forth His mercy and His truth, and we will be able to pick up from where we left off and do even better the next time.

Today's thought: Losing one battle doesn't mean I've lost the war!

[Judy Harder]

January 29


Job 11:14-15
If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear.


A vegetarian friend of mine went to a party and was handed a plate filled with wonderful appetizers. He selected one, took a bite, and then-to everyone's surprise-he threw the remainder across the room with all his might. He stood with a stunned and bewildered look on his face. The appetizer had been filled with meat, and his immediate reaction was to throw it as far away as possible. I think of that whenever I am tempted to grab something to eat that I shouldn't have. In my mind, I have to throw it far away, acting like it is something terrible, so I won't give in to the temptation.

Today's thought: I will put far away anything that tempts me this day!

[Judy Harder]

January 30


Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.


My grandmother had a favorite picture that showed Jesus stretching out His hand to Peter while they were walking on the sea. It gave my grandmother great comfort to know that if she ever failed in her faith, Christ would stretch out His loving hand to lift her up. Whenever she dieted, she kept that picture close at hand. When the diet got too hard for her to cope with, she looked at her picture and felt God present with her. When we attempt to sacrifice anything, it is good for us to admit that we will have a hard time doing it on our own. When we stretch forth our hand to God, He will always reach back.

Today's thought: When my diet gets toughest, God will be closest.

[Judy Harder]

January 31


Proverbs 11:18
The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.


It seems too easy to cheat on a diet. There are so many good things to eat, and it doesn't seem like it could hurt to cheat just a little. The problem is, when we try to convince ourselves that a little cheating is okay, then we never seem to draw the line, and a little cheating becomes a lot of cheating. When we are deceitful with ourselves, we find ourselves in big trouble. It is much better for us to do what we know is right, avoiding the things we know will give us trouble. When we stick to our diets, then we can expect nothing but reward.

Today's thought: There's no such thing as cheating just a little!

[Judy Harder]

February 1


1 John 2:1
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.


'I can't win,' the woman lamented. 'I give in and eat something, and then I feel guilty. When I feel guilty, I eat. The more I eat, the guiltier I feel, and the guiltier I feel, the more I eat!' Sometimes we feel like failures when we break our diets. We can be swept up in a sense of guilt that makes it nearly impossible for us to stick to our diet. The solution to guilt is forgiveness, and forgiveness comes to us through our advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous. Jesus knows that we sometimes give in, and He loves us just the same. Accept His love, accept His forgiveness, and let go of any guilt you may feel.

Today's thought: I am not condemned just because I sometimes slip!