I received such a blessing from this so I wanted to share. I myself would like to see further devotions of encouragement on this thread so please feel free to join me!
Part of my First Place weight program for this week spoke on I Corinthians 6:20. "For ye are bought with a price:therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
The writer for First Place added "God created us so we can bring glory to Him through our lives. Our physical bodies are the tools we use to glorify God. Through everything we do, we try and live in such a way that people think more highly of God because of what they see in us. If we want to bring our eating habits under Christ's control so we can have a positive witness for Christ, we can ask God, with confidence, to help us lose weight. God knows if we intend to use our victory over our weight problem to bring Him glory! He also knows if we only want victory to satisfy selfish motives."
I gave God glory thru thanking Him out loud last night when my son hit the baseball at his game scoring 3 for his team. I will do the same as I shed these pounds. And when someone asks me, "How are you doing this?" God's control over my life will be my answer, my acknowledgement, and my praise!
"Father in heaven, give us the strength today to do your will, so you will be glorified. In your name, Amen."
Thank you Brenda for sharing this :)
Glory be to our Heavenly Father - Amen.
Gen (wombat)
__________________
Banded 06/25/07 Dr. Spivak; 5 fills to date
5'0" tall H206.6/C127/G120 as of 7/3/08 #1 Goal: Weigh 165 by Thanksgiving - Made it 11/13 #2 Goal: Weigh 150 by 01/01/08 - nope 156.6 #3 Goal: Weigh 140 by 02/23/08 - nope 143.8 SubGoal: No longer Overweight!!! 6/18/08
#4 Goal: Weigh 120 by 06/25/08 Nope - but still trying!!
In order to accomplish difficult tasks, we have to be motivated, right? But what kind of motivation? Selfish ones or ones that please God? What type of motivation is right for a Christian?
2 Corinthians 5:9. Our goal should be to please God.
Romans 12:1. We should give our bodies to God as living sacrifices.
Phil. 1:20. And that God should be magnified in our bodies.
I have to pray often for forgiveness of my pride. Too often I get hung up on..."can't wait to lose weight to look good, be treated better, to prove I can do it to non-supporters" because my pride can also cause the Lord to oppose me (James 4:6). I pray for humbleness daily. I want God's grace by glorifying Him, not by glorifying myself.
And when you find yourself in a rute one bad day, remember, it's God who can pull you out, not yourself. So take time to glorify Him no matter how mudded down you feel!! Oh, and remember, take the time to listen to His voice as well.
The Trumpet by Bill Burns -- April 21, 2008: My people, hear My voice: I would have you rise up out of the mire of adversity with a voice of joy and a heart of gladness. It is My intention to bless My people exceedingly abundantly above and beyond anything that you could imagine. I cannot bless you, however, if you remain on a worldly level. You must rise up. Indeed the whole of My word speaks of rising up, of ascending before My throne, for you have an invitation to come boldly before My throne of grace. Come with anticipation of My goodness. Come with great joy and expectation of those things that I am about to bestow upon you and those things that I am about to do in your life that will carry you on the path of destiny. This is the fullness of time when things are coming to completion, and your destiny must be formed and brought to perfection. That which I have purposed for you must begin to take place. As you begin to gain vision, you will understand My purposes, and you will come with a heart of thanksgiving because I have touched, healed, provided for, and carried you when you could not walk. My kingdom will fully manifest in demonstration. Rise up and believe, says the Lord. Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns -- April 21, 2008: Beloved, I am with you in your labor, for I will empower you to bring forth. You must, however, learn the cycle of push and rest, push and rest, push and rest. You are entering into a time that will produce vitality and liberty in abundance. You are leaving behind the days of the dark night of the soul and bursting forth with a new and radiant hope, says the Lord. Job 11:16-18 Because you would forget your misery, and remember it as waters that have passed away, and your life would be brighter than noonday. Though you were dark, you would be like the morning. And you would be secure, because there is hope; Yes, you would dig around you, and take your rest in safety.
I had a tough Monday. Then sitting here at my desk, I was wondering if and how could I possibly go to church service tonight. Boy, the devil was trying to get a hold of me. I asked the Lord for strength in prayer then opened my Bible up to any Psalms to see what the Lord wanted me to read....here it is, Ps 27.
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even my eneamies, my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord."
and I say..."THANK YOU, LORD-AMEN"
An Evening Prayer for Sanctification and Protection.
A Psalm of David.
1O LORD, I call upon You; (A)hasten to me!
(B)Give ear to my voice when I call to You!
2May my prayer be counted as (C)incense before You;
The (D)lifting up of my hands as the (E)evening offering.
3Set a (F)guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the (G)door of my lips.
4(H)Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice deeds of wickedness
With men who (I)do iniquity;
And (J)do not let me eat of their delicacies.
5Let the (K)righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me;
It is (L)oil upon the head;
Do not let my head refuse it,
For still my prayer (M)is against their wicked deeds.
6Their judges are (N)thrown down by the sides of the rock,
And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7As when one (O)plows and breaks open the earth,
Our (P)bones have been scattered at the (Q)mouth of Sheol.
8For my (R)eyes are toward You, O GOD, the Lord;
In You I (S)take refuge; (T)do not leave me defenseless.
9Keep me from the (U)jaws of the trap which they have set for me,
And from the (V)snares of those who do iniquity.
10Let the wicked (W)fall into their own nets,
While I pass by (X)safely.
After my banding last Weds, my pastor announced during Weds nite prayer mtg to remember me, that I had a "minor" procedure earlier that day. I went back to church last night for 1st time since. I didn't go Sunday because I didn't want to get questioned on anything. I wasn't assured at that time. Then this past Weds morning, I picked up my women's devotional Bible, found a card from my BF (my pastor's wife) she gave me a few months ago. I never took the time to look up the verse she put in it, 1 Peter 5:7. Well, in my women's Bible, beside this verse, it also mentioned to read 1 Corinthians 10:13..."No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will no let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." I thanked the Lord immediately for showing me that verse, then went to church with my head held high! PTL!!!
Nope - but still trying!!
My people, hear My voice: I would have you rise up out of the mire of adversity with a voice of joy and a heart of gladness. It is My intention to bless My people exceedingly abundantly above and beyond anything that you could imagine. I cannot bless you, however, if you remain on a worldly level. You must rise up. Indeed the whole of My word speaks of rising up, of ascending before My throne, for you have an invitation to come boldly before My throne of grace. Come with anticipation of My goodness. Come with great joy and expectation of those things that I am about to bestow upon you and those things that I am about to do in your life that will carry you on the path of destiny. This is the fullness of time when things are coming to completion, and your destiny must be formed and brought to perfection. That which I have purposed for you must begin to take place. As you begin to gain vision, you will understand My purposes, and you will come with a heart of thanksgiving because I have touched, healed, provided for, and carried you when you could not walk. My kingdom will fully manifest in demonstration. Rise up and believe, says the Lord. 
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