| Welcome to Health Buddy Forums. We hope you enjoy your visit. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features. |
| Monday's Manna 9 For Dieters | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: Feb 7 2011, 04:29 AM (73 Views) | |
| editor | Feb 7 2011, 04:29 AM Post #1 |
|
Administrator
|
Manna Issue 9 Luke 3:7 8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which brings not forth good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire. 10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? 11 He answered and said unto them, He that has two coats, let him impart to him that has none; and he that has meat, let him do likewise. In today's Scripture reading, John the Baptist was telling the people that they must bring forth fruit worthy of repentance. We apply today's lesson to our dieting attempts in the following way. Bringing forth fruits worthy of repentance means this: Show proof of the misdeeds you profess to. We are reading these food sermons because we have, simply put, taken in more calories than our bodies burn up. Or because we feel that we want a solution to our weight gain that hasn't been explained to us as of yet. Whether it is a faze, an age, a new medication, stress, boredom or whatever, the body can no longer process the amount of food we are providing it with. Action, on our part needs to be taken. The body was created magnificently as we are told in Psalm 139:14 "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body." Having abused my body to the stature of gaining 85 pounds before I took action, I can't but help rejoice at this verse. I often wonder now, what if our bodies did not have the power of recuperation as God had designed it? What if when we gained weight it would stay there and not be able to be lost again? What if our skin would not stretch to accommodate it? What if we didn't feel the discomforts of ill health that being overweight brings with it, and never set out to improve our health? What if a second chance only came once, or perhaps never? What if we never were given the chance to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance? Today you are given the chance to begin your journey of gaining back a healthy weight. How? By action as we have seen time and time again in our Scripture studies. Today with the words, "Bring forth", we are called to action. In Biblical times the words brought forth were actually the words used for giving birth. So today we give birth to a new thought, "I will prepare and do it." With pregnancy we all have so much to accomplish before that nine months end becomes a reality of giving new life to another. There are so many health issues involved in the giving of proper attention to our bodies. Think today in the lines of bringing forth a new life for yourself. My, there is going to be so many things to do along the way. The first thing an expectant mother does is rejoice at the good news that in nine months time she will have produced fruit of her body. Likewise, when we are faced with the news that we must diet to be slim again, I would venture for most of us it will be a nine month journey---more or less. We need to rejoice that in that time frame we will bear fruit. We will witness a difference. We will have the desired results we dream of. We will see a miracle of the body renewing itself. We should be expectant, rather than downcast or frustrated. Then the plan of action takes place. Just like the mother who learns all she can about prenatal care. We learn, we ask, we seek help. We want the best! We learn what we need and we avoid what we don't need. We take care to get in just the proper amount of exercise, and we do not eat foods that are not nutritious, and we make sure that we are getting appropriate fluids daily. We take vitamins, we weigh in regularly and we consult our doctor when there is a real concern. Sounding pretty familiar yet? And, oh yes, I do have male readers and they do as expectant fathers participate in the well being of this moment also. We call it a team effort, and that is also what we as dieters need to do. Buddy up and get the support you need from others who are excited about the journey ahead as you are. There are many who will be as enthused as you are if you seek them out. Hmmm, the wait by now seems to be getting to the mother. She has her dream and vision though and she keeps focused and busy on fulfilling the moment of the joyful occasion by activity. Have you window shopped lately and seen that adorable bathing suit in a size ten that you would die to be able to wear? Maybe you are not yet ready to put it in a lay-a-way, but can you really see how great you WILL look in it? Can you go through your clothes closet and discard some of those worn out tent like apparel, trusting that will never have to wear them again? After all, you are anticipating needing more room in your closet for your new, sleek garments. How about a new hair do to go along with that slimmer face. Yes, there is plenty to do if you believe that this time you will bring forth good fruits in your dieting attempts. See this is where even where giving away your one of two coats (extra large of course) comes in admonishing us to distribute our surplus. You won't need it and someone else will. Now we drop down to the imparting of our meat to others. Have you ever really and truly thought of those that were homeless and knew not where the next meal would come from? Do you now find your grocery bills lowered because you are no longer buying an over abundance of premium priced snack items? Are you now eating one portion at a meal instead of two or three? The possibilities are endless when we quit store housing food for our body. We suddenly find that we are able to be quite generous. We can bake for others, but we needn't partake. We can send leftovers to the widow neighbor because we know that we no longer will want to raid the refrigerator at midnight. We can use the savings from our grocery bills to sponsor that child overseas that we have always wanted to. A most wonderful bonus about losing the weight, eating right and exercising is that the body begins to function normally again. We find that we are not at the doctor's as frequently as we used to be. Those aching feet are no longer carrying extra weight on them. The cholesterol readings and blood pleasure has improved immensely, possibly soon you can be off your medications. The backaches are gone and those stress headaches have disappeared. Even the skin and the hair look better. Oh, how could you have forgotten how wonderful it was to be in health? Then the magic moment comes; you hit goal. Just as a mother delivers on her due date, your expectancy has come full term. You are excited and everyone ooohs and ahs, just like they would if you had brought forth a child. The congratulations are exhilarating. You've come a long way, baby. The miracle is that you have brought forth fruits worthy of repentance. Only you know the difficulties and they are not to be dwelled on. Wonderful how even the mind causes us to diminish the hard labor involved. Now a whole new world faces you. A brighter world. A world of blessings. A walk with God that He has intended for you, and He has been right by your side every step of the way. Can you hear John the Baptist, empowered by God calling out to you today, "Bring forth fruit worthy of repentance?" Can you take that first step toward the river Jordan to be baptized for forgiveness? To wash away the past? To begin a new life? Don't wait until the axe is laid to the tree. Don't put it off until it is too late. Don't postpone it until your health is irreversible. Do it now while you are given the opportunity. It is said that the first step is the hardest. There might be a steep embankment to travel upward on first sight. That is your mind that needs to realize that God is there waiting to steady you. Have you reached out your hand yet for Him to grasp? We are encouraged today to be stirred to action, no longer watching others reach the bringing forth of this fruit; instead we will be the next in line to take that step of faith, with anticipation and excitement. Will you give it your all? Will you at least be encouraged to try? Will you change your mindset from failure to "With God all things are possible." The first step to getting the things out of life that you want is this: Decide what you want. Decide today whether with God's help you will be birthing a brand new you and then pursue it . From someone who knows, it is worth the pursuit. Heavenly Father, with Your and help I can achieve this vision that is stirring in my spirit and is calling out to me. Though the way be steep and the path be craggy, I desire to reach out to You today and then bring forth those fruits You desire. Be with me as I prepare my body for changes, and victory. Amen ©2003-2007 www.gracetoday.com |
![]() |
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| « Previous Topic · Devotions · Next Topic » |
| Theme: Zeta Original | Track Topic · E-mail Topic |
4:00 AM Jul 11
|
Tweet


and help I can achieve this vision that is stirring in my spirit and is calling out to me. Though the way be steep and the path be craggy, I desire to reach out to You today and then bring forth those fruits You desire. Be with me as I prepare my body for changes, and victory. Amen ©2003-2007 www.gracetoday.com



4:00 AM Jul 11