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Manna 18
#1
Manna Issue 18

Psalm 42:5 "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."

Lamentations 3:25 "The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. 26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD."

Are you tired of dieting like thousands upon thousands of others and are starting to feel this dieting is a no win situation? Go ahead, ask 10 women or men this question: "Are you happy with your weight?" You would probably get 10 responses of "No!" This is not being depressed; this is reality. Physicians, society, family, and most importantly, ourselves put pressure on an individual to lose weight, especially, I believe, as Christians who need to present their bodies as living and holy proof that God dwells within them. This correlates to millions of dollars per year being spent on various weight loss remedies in the hopes of reaching an ideal body weight. Many "yo-yo" dieters say, "Why bother losing any weight at all if I am just going to gain it back--and more."

There are two major reasons why people regain the weight they loose: The first is that dieters typically make drastic short-term changes in eating habits rather than more reasonable changes that they can maintain over a lifetime. The second is that dieters set unrealistic expectations of weight loss. What many dieters don't realize, however, is that there are major health benefits associated with even modest weight loss, even if this weight loss falls short of their original goal. One of the most painful aspects of obesity may be the emotional suffering it causes. American society places great emphasis on physical appearance, often equating attractiveness with slimness. The messages, intended or not, make overweight people feel unattractive. Many people assume that obese people are gluttonous, lazy, or both. Feelings of rejection, shame, or depression are common. For this type of depression there is a remedy. It is a combination of prayer and reasonable expectations. Many people diet without patience. They want a quick fix, that will not come no matter what is attempted. Knowing God, hoping in Him, and waiting patiently for our results is our topic of discussion today. Not clinical depression which is an entirely different subject, but just the same old blahs and drudgery over the aspects of ever being thin and healthy again.

We typically become more conscious of our sin and vulnerability as we grow in Christ--a consequence of coming closer to his light and being exposed by it. But a consequence that will bring us freedom as Christ Jesus proclaimed, "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free." Are you desiring freedom or is it only understanding or pity that you truly want for your condition? I am sure you are saying, it is freedom that I want. Would it discourage you if I reminded you that it took the Israelites 40 years of wandering in the desert before they came into the Promised Land? Or would you be encouraged to know that they complained, grumbled and was depressed along the way also, and yet some finally arrived at where they were destined to be? Can I encourage you today, that if you have called on God to deliver you from a high weight, that He might take you through a valley to discover your freedom from it, but that your prayer is already heard and its answer is being worked out? Can you wait on the Lord and trust Him, setting your failures behind you and seeing the victory that He already has in store for you? God heard it, He has declared it, and He will do it.

What do we do as we patiently wait? One thing we do is to encourage ourselves in knowing that others have made it to the promised land in dieting and so can we! We must learn to not treat our depression and negativity with food. We must learn to treat it with more of God and less of ourselves. If joy doesn't come find us, then we must surely go and find it. And we find it by reading the Word of God and letting Him speak to us through Scripture, searching for devotionals which touch our hearts and spirits, seeking other Christians out for mutual fellowship, and we find it by going to God in prayer fervently. Our second Scripture tells us that it is good that we wait in the Lord. "It is good" are the same words that God spoke when He viewed creation that He made. "It is good"! There is a purpose that God has in mind. There are things other than knowing how much food you can or cannot get away with to lose or gain weight. God has a good purpose for you as you work on restyling your body, He is working on defining your spirit. He is teaching you to have joy in all things, patience always, hope, peace and trust in Him. God is indeed looking at the larger picture, rather than just portion control or weight loss. He is waiting to see what new truths you will discover. How you will apply them in this area of your life, and how you will handle overcoming your past experience with weight problems, and exchanging them for a better workable way with God in control.

It is good that as Christians, we are doing so much more than just dieting for a season. We are being instructed by God for a lifetime. That should give you reason to shout, Hallelujah right now! Read this wonderful poem by an unknown author and see if you can catch a glimpse of the purpose of down times in our lives. "When you are having problems and feel there's no help around. First take one step forward, to get to higher ground. If you think that God doesn't hear you then that is really a shame, not only does He hear every prayer you say; but He knows you, by your name. It does not matter just where you are when you call upon the Lord. He will be listening with a well-tuned ear, and will understand every word. Be ready to listen to what He says, as He tells you what to do. For that will be your instructions because the rest will be up to you. You should thank Him for His kindness, because He was standing by. And not as you thought; that He had turned away and would never hear your cry. Even though you have made so many mistakes, He will not hold you to blame. For now you are fully forgiven, and remember, He knows you by your name."

We have our moments of depression and down times to drive us straight into the arms and Presence of God. It is a time set apart to discover God's great love for you. And so it is with dieting when we become depressed with the results, when we are tired of trying, repulsed by the mere thought of another carrot stick, hesitant that we will gain victory in this area, or just plain old tired and defeated when we look back over the past attempts that we have made prior in the area of dieting. Rejoice now, for this time it will be different by communing with God, by putting your hope in God, not a diet, by praising God, not a new fabulous program, and quietly waiting for our salvation from the bondage that food has held over us. Yes, we may all have occasional days or even weeks when life with dieting is just a fog of discouragement, but we are told especially then to put our hope in God and wait patiently for Him. He will move on our behalf again, but at a pace that we can handle. If we were able to lose at a clip of ten pounds per week and have our diet over with in a short time, we would not be so dependant upon God would we? If the Israelites had entered the Promised Land in a matter of just a few weeks, they would have quickly forgotten why they had cried out to God to be delivered from the cruelties and slavery of Egypt. If God did not have a plan, a purpose and a set time to deliver you from the weight you have cried out to Him to help remove from you, surely you would soon forget the difficulties of self-control and effort and find yourself right back in the dilemma of having to do it all over again. God wants to bring you full and total deliverance and freedom, and once more I will say it, "It is good", the exact way He has it planned for you.

Don't be discouraged or depressed over your progress this week or this month. Instead, "Look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws nigh." Will you promise to look up when you are tempted to look down? Will you try to lift up your head toward God when you are tempted to cast it downward? Will you truly begin to trust that God is on His way to send redemption to you from this bondage as soon as He is able to break through to you? Will you try to memorize this verse, "Look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws nigh" and repeat, aloud if necessary, when you are just about to throw in the towel and give up? God is so ready to encourage you and lift your spirits. Don't give up, back down or turn around. We have some precious Scriptural promises that we can depend on today, and tomorrow, and forever. If you are dealing with depression at this moment over your progress with dieting, will you keep in mind one important word that I felt God spoke to me many years ago? He spoke in my spirit, "Give it 24 hours and see if it does not get better." I have clung to that time and time again when I saw no immediate relief. I'd give it 24 hours, and yes, sometimes I had to repeat the process because of things that I could not see, but I now knew to divide my life into a day and an evening just as God created and intended it to me, and search and look hard for one positive improvement, and it could always be found. Perhaps not the total answer, but I could see a step toward the positive result that I was searching for. And you need to do that also as you place your trust in God that waiting upon Him is indeed good.

I often wondered if all of many, many prayers were answered simultaneously in one day how I could possibly make the adjustment in my life. So with our dieting prayers and efforts. To wake up thin tomorrow would mean that you missed so much of the valuable spiritual lessons that God has in mind for you. So count the blessings that you do have, and know that God indeed has a time and place where He will pour out more for you. Try a gratitude attitude toward God today in your prayer life, and put your trust in Him. He is able to perform that which you have asked Him for. Father God, thank You that You are available for us whenever the need arises and no matter what our moods are. Today I offer You what is called the sacrifice of praise, and I have faith that You do have some wonderful milestones for me yet to achieve. Thank You, Lord, for all You have done for me, and that which You are about to do, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen ©2001-2007 www.gracetoday.com

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