Wed. journal

I heard quote this morning from Beth Moore that really spoke to me. She said, “God will never give us a victory in a battle where we choose not to fight.” I had to rewind it and listen to that again. It really got me thinking about several things in my life. Of course one of the first would be my battle with my weight. I haven’t always been overweight. I have suffered with weight is since having children. Well my oldest is 15 now and I can really keep blaming her. My son is 10 so that really isn’t much better. I have tried for years to lose the weight. However, I have tried in my own strength to lose it. Well when I heard this statement this morning it made me think have I been really battling this or letting it defeat me. Up until I decided to do this diet AND blog about it to hold me accountable I can say I really haven’t looked at my health as a battle to fight. However, think about it – it really is. I have got to take care of this body. It is the only one I will ever get here on this Earth. I need to appreciate the gift of my health that God has given me. I need to take a stand and choose to fight for victory in this battle. Is battling easy? No – if it were it would not be called a battle. Is saying no to your craving for foods easy? No – we want what we want. However, I can’t just sit back and say “Lord take this from me, please”, and then do nothing. That isn’t how He works. If we want victory then we are going to have to not only pray but ask Him “what do I do?” & then listen and respond.

The great thing about going to God is that He never loses a battle that He has. If He is fighting for you then you are already be assured a victory as long as you follow His lead. You know what else? God tells you that there will be times that you don’t even have to do anything but Stand Firm. I love these two words in my Bible. I have begun to circle them each time I read them. One of my favorite places it in Exodus 14:13-14 “But Moses told the people. “Don’t be afraid. Just stand firm (stand still) and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm & keep silent.” There the Israelites stood with the Red Sea before them and Pharaoh’s Army behind them. It looked helpless. They just knew they were headed back to Egypt or worse. However, God said “Stand Firm & I will take care of this to the point you won’t ever have to see these guys again.”

Another place I have circled “Stand Firm” is in Ephesians 6:13 “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will be standing firm.” Also, 1 Cor 16:13 “Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. 14 And do everything in love.” Both of these verses tell us to stand firm but they both say it in such a way that it is an active event. It isn’t a passive command. It doesn’t mean do nothing. It means to take it, trust God enough not to flinch, draw back, or run hide.

God wants us to consider this in all our ways. For me He wants me to know that I need to stand firm in the way He is leading me to lose the weight. He doesn’t want me to back down or give up because it gets hard. He doesn’t want me to lose hope that He is going to take care of me. Now I must stand firm and be obedient. I don’t want to battle this forever. I want Him to deal with it once and for all and I just need to follow His lead.

So today – what do you need to stand firm on in your life? In what area is God telling you to stop worrying about this and let Him deal with it. What battle have you completely given up on and said I am not going to even try again? Stop, pray, listen and respond to what God tells you to do. Remember He has never lost a battle yet that He entered into.

Meals for today: Eggs, orange, tossed salad with tuna, roasted veggies, subway roasted chicken tossed salad, yogurt, yogurt w/ a little fiber one cereal added in.

Today’s exercise: 45 minutes at the gym lifting weights.