Verse reflections: I eat when I am worried. I eat when I am stressed. I eat when I am extremely happy. Yes, I am an emotional eater. Carbugers (carbs and sugar) create dopamine so I get a boost of happy when I eat those foods and I always eat those foods when I overeat. I know that I have created a dangerous cycle of emotion and eating. This verse reminds us that we cannot let the worries of this life or even the deceitfulness of a “happy”’ day take over our dependence on God’s word. I am a firm believer that what we see as ‘bad” and “good”, “happy” or “sad” here on earth don’t even make the charts in terms of eternity. I think Mark emphasizes that fact when he says the worries of THIS life.” In other words, those worries will not exist in the next life. This world, this life is just a blink. So, we need to stop focusing on what has happened, what might happen and what we have or don’t have. We need to focus on God and God’s word. When we focus on what we want, or what has happened God’s word is not as relevant. So often people pull out Romans 8:28 “All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.” Just above that verse in verse 26 it reminds us that “we do not know what to pray for but the Spirit himself intercedes…” We don’t have a clue what is important. We don’t need to worry. We can think we need so many things but the Spirit of God knows exactly what we need and will provide it. We have to focus on His word and know that if we trust in Him all things will work together for our good. The difference here is that we have to trust God to know what is good. When we try to tell God what is good for us, His word becomes choked out and unfruitful. Trusting God to have our best interest at heart immediately stops the worry, immediately stops our desire for something else. We need to desire God’s word foremost. Honestly, for me, this is why God plus 1 works. 1 Bible verse, 1 small piece of God’s word recenters my priorities for the day. 1 Bible verse that speaks to me allows me to not focus on my power (or lack of power) but to focus on God’s power. This allows His word to be fruitful. This allows us to eat God foods because we are not depending on ourselves and the reaction to the worries, wants or highs and lows of this world. We are depending on, trusting in, and claiming God’s word.
Prayer: God, this says it all. How often do I choke out Your word’s power by living on an emotional roller coaster. Forgive me. Help me not to worry, not to think about what I have or do not have, what I want to happen next… Help me concentrate on the power of Your word. Stopping my days to write and read these devotions has changed my life. 30 minutes a day and it is working. I am eating more healthily and I am actually losing weight consistently for the first time in decades. I am most excited about the fact that I really can live this way. Forgive us down here on earth for being such idiots and looking for magic diets, pills or programs that will help us be healthy or lose weight. You have already solved this issue. You gave us the nutrition that will make us healthy. You gave us the foods that will allow us to get full and live at a healthy weight. All we have to do is allow Your word to rule us, to be fruitful. When we turn to the invincible strength of Your word, we cease to live by our own capacity. We can leave our emotions behind, the deceit and worry of this world and live by the power of Your promises in Your word. Thank You, Father, for leading me to so many verses that shout Your power and our ability to eat healthy and be fruitful in our quest for health. I love You tons and tons.
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