Your sin is covered

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against them.

Verse Reflections: I am so glad I am a Christian. When I read this verse, I feel relief flood over me. I cannot forgive myself. I constantly chastise myself for any small lapse in my eating. And then my tendency is to keep eating because I have already crossed the imaginary line that I draw for myself. If I have one then why not have three? This verse reminds me that I am forgiven for any line that I cross in my eating habits. I am blessed. You are blessed. Blessed means made holy and consecrated (to be set apart from things unclean). We are set apart, made holy. We need to embrace our holiness. Just say no to the temptations that everyone else is indulging in. We are addicts. We do not have the same limits that other people have. Remember that certain foods are “unclean” for us. We have to consider ourselves consecrated and set apart from certain foods. I try over and over to allow myself to just have a little, to have small portions… I am not successful. I have to forgive myself for each one of these failures. I have to cover up my past, not to hide it but to move forward with new habits. God’s forgiveness covers us. His grace frees us from guilt and gives us the strength to start fresh. Just as God forgives our sins and doesn’t count them against us, He invites us to extend that same grace to ourselves. Mistakes in our journey—whether it’s indulging in unhealthy habits or falling short of our goals—don’t define us. What defines us is the forgiveness and love of God, which are always available when we return to Him with a willing heart.

By covering our sin of overeating we can change to a person that only eats small portions, that says no. God is saying none of our past counts against us so we can dance to a new song. For so long I have allowed myself to buy into a self-definition that was proud of not liking salads, loving sweets. I have to cover this sin, this past and redefine myself as one who is set apart and eats natural foods that nourish my body as the holy treasure that it is.

Prayer:  Lord, thank You for Your forgiveness that covers all my failures. I confess the times I have neglected to care for my body in a way that honors You. Help me to make wise choices with food and exercise, not out of guilt, but as an act of gratitude and worship. Thank You for walking with me on this journey, for covering my shortcomings, and for giving me the strength to change my self-perceptions, for giving me the opportunity to move forward. I am going to claim the holiness that You promise me in this verse. I am going to accept being set apart. I cannot have the same foods that our society indulges in. I have to be consecrated, separated from that which is unclean. And, God, I know that sugar and processed foods are not good for my body. I have been trying to “have it all”. I have been trying to eat healthy and then add my deserts, the foods I know are not good for my body. Today God, cover these behaviors and move me forward. Change me. Set me apart. I love You and today we are going to eat the amazing foods You created.