Jeremiah 2:25 - Addicted

Do not run until your feet are bare
     and your throat is dry.
But you said,
 ‘It’s no use!
     I love foreign gods,
     and I must go after them.’
Jeremiah 2:25

This passage made me think of addiction. The Israelites were addicted to foreign gods. They would run after them, even though they really could do nothing to help them. A few lines down from this passage in 27 and 28 it says,  "yet when they are in trouble, they say, ‘Come and save us!’ Where then are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them come if they can save you when you are in trouble!" So what is the "foreign god" in your life? It might be heroin, pain killers, alcohol, food, work, success, television, our image, or our phone? Is there is anything you run after, you love, you cannot quit and that cannot save you when you are in trouble?

Lord, Thank you for always being there for us and accepting us back even when we have put other things before you. Please help us to see the things in our lives we are addicted to and help us to get rid of these addictions. Amen.

1 Corinthians 9:25 - Self-Discipline

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

Last night I blew it. I had to work yesterday, so I guess I felt sorry for myself and decided to eat pizza. Normally I eat very healthy on "pizza days" to compensate. Not yesterday. I way overate. Very much "disobedient eating". I was so tired, I had planned to go to bed at 8 to get a good night's sleep to be ready for today, but after overeating like that, I was so uncomfortable, I did not get to sleep until about 1 am. Obedient eating will give me a dual crown; one of a healthy body and one that will last forever.

Lord, than you for the good food you give us to eat and make our bodies healthy. Please help me to eat obediently today. Amen.

Psalm 145:15-16 - Satisfaction

The eyes of all look to you,
     and you give them their food at the proper time.
You open your hand
     and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

Because of my food issues, I am always looking for verses which speak to that issue. Amid the praise offered in Psalm 145 these verses stood out to me. I feel like my food issues stem from dissatisfaction. I am always looking for something to satisfy me. I know it is God, but I keep looking for other things to satisfy. This is also the reason I regularly start new projects and quickly loose interest. All I really need is God. He will give me food at the proper time and satisfy my desires.

Lord, thank you for reassuring us that you will satisfy our desires. Please help us to rely on you alone. Amen.

Psalm 141:3 - A prayer for obedient eating

Set a guard over my mouth, Lord;
     keep watch over the door of my lips.

I recently heard the phrase "obedient eating." This is much better than the word "diet." As a person with a stronghold of overeating, I am always looking for scriptures to help me in my struggle, The verse after this requests, "Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil," and "do not let me eat their (evildoers) delicacies."

Lord, thank you for giving us scriptures which apply to our situation. Please set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Amen.

Psalm 119:81 - Longing, looking and waiting

My soul faints with longing for your salvation,
     but I have put my hope in your word.

This section of chapter 119 uses words like longing, looking and waiting. Are you longing, looking and waiting for the Lord? Or is there something else in your life you are longing, looking or waiting for? It is easy for things and people to take the place of God in our life. Only God satisfies, gives real hope and never fails on his promises.

Lord, thank you for being our unfailing God. Please help us to only long, look and wait for you. Amen.

Psalm 119:37 - Turn my eyes...

Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
     preserve my life according to your word.

I love finding verses which relate to what I am studying or issues I am dealing with. I have mentioned the current study I am in regarding the stronghold of food. It is an idol in my life I go to seeking satisfaction I can only get from the Lord. So I pray...

Lord, thank you for your word. Please Lord, in Jesus' name, turn my eyes away from worthless things. Amen.

Judges 6:1a - Again!

The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord...

Again!! The Israelite journey with God is full of rebellion and return. I've been told 40 years was about the longest time the Israelites in the Old Testament were ever continuously faithful as a people. The strongholds of sin are difficult to break free from. My sisters and I have all struggled with food issues and we are studying the book "Breaking Free" by Beth Moore. The beginning of a new year is always a good time to start a new study.

Lord, thank you for giving us the opportunity to start over. Please help us to break free from our strongholds. Amen.

Matthew 23:25-28 - Bible Study Challenge Day 4

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.  “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Question 1 - How are we guilty of only cleaning the outside* of the cup?
We look the part of Christians and we want others to think well of us, Our body/actions project one image and our minds maybe another. We may have hidden sin we don't want anyone to know about. Maybe we focus on "Checklist Christianity" and do all the right things, but we have not allowed God to really pierce our heart.

Question 2 - Where do we show greed and self-indulgence?
Too much of too much...food, money, stuff, coffee, business, work, co-dependency on others, drugs, alcohol, etc... We focus on what "I want." This is dangerous because we can argue and convince ourselves anything is OK. Moderation is the key.

Question 3 - How can we be righteous inside and out?
The scripture says, "First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean." If we are focusing on God and allowing the spirit to work in our hearts and minds, then we won't have to worry about our appearance to others. We will look like a Christian because we are a Christian.

Lord, thank you for helping us to evaluate ourselves. Please keep our minds focused on you and your will, so that your spirit can impact our heart and mind, Amen.

*I think the author meant outside, not inside.

Psalm 69:5 - My sin

You, God, know my folly;
     my guilt is not hidden from you.

We all have our sins, our addictions, our temptations, our follies. As I have discussed before, I have food issues. In the past I have been hesitant to call this sin, but I think it may be time to call it what it is: sin. Why is it so hard to resist? Why can't I just say no to the donuts in the break room or what ever is available? Why do I feel cheated if I go out to a restaurant and order a healthy meal? Why can't I stop after eating a reasonable sized portion of food? Well, God knows my folly. He sees my guilt and thankfully, offers forgiveness.

Lord, thank you for knowing us, loving us, and forgiving us. Please help us to stop sinning. Amen.

Proverbs 23:2 - Never saw this verse before

and put a knife to your throat

     if you are given to gluttony.

Honestly, I have never seen this verse before. Ok, well I guess I have, I went back and looked at my study in December of 2014 and Proverbs 23:1-3 was highlighted. My focus in that study was the idea that all the food these days is deceptive with chemically altered ingredients, which is true, but... Wow! verse 2 is a strong verse. I came across this when reading my sister's blog and it has stuck in my head for days. I have struggled with overeating my whole life. I'm having trouble coming up with motivation to eat healthy...I think I found it!

Lord, thank you for giving us healthy things to eat. Please help us to use food for the purposes you intend. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 4:4 - Control your body

That each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable,

In this passage, Paul is talking about sexual immorality, but I think this verse can go beyond sexual sin. I need to control my body. That includes how I treat my body and what I do with my body. I've thought a lot about this in relation to food and being overweight. I don't think being overweight is a sin, by any means. I don't think being overweight has to limit my potential in any way. But...I think loosing weight could make me better. I would be a better employee with more stamina. I would be a better actor with a broader range of roles to play, I would be a better Christian with more energy and influence.

Lord, thank you for giving us choice in our lives. Please help me to control my body. Amen.

Genesis 3:3

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her and he ate it.

In my daily strugle with food, it gives me strength to know I am not alone. The first sin was a sin involving food.

Lord, thank you for the gift of food to nourish our bodies. Help us to have a healthy relationship with food and to place you, the creator, above the food you created. Amen.

Colossians 3:2

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

This passage is discussing our earthly natures. He passages before this say human rules lack value in restraining sensual indulgence. So my question was, "What does?". The next few verses answer that question with setting our minds on things above and not earthly things. My struggle is with food. My "desire and greed, which is idolatry (v. 5)" causes me to overeat. In the past few years I have worked on this struggle and have lost a significant amount of weight, but the struggle is still there and I still need to lose more. I have never wanted to put my struggle with food into the spiritual reaalm, but I think I have to finally admit that it is idolatry. God gives me the answer. Set my mind on things above and not earthly things. If I am studying and focusing on God I will not be focusing on food. When I am sitting around and watching TV and focusing on earthly things, then I'm focusing on food.

Lord, I want to set my mind on things above and not on earthly things. Please help me with my struggle with food. Amen.