Making rough places smooth

I will lead the blind in ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them, I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do, I will not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16

Verse Reflections: I am blind when I refuse to walk in God’s light. It reassures me that, despite my refusal to choose God’s foods at times that He will lead me. It is unfamiliar to me to eat carrots with my sandwich instead of chips. It is unfamiliar to me to refuse to eat pizza until I am full, or to have one cookie instead of ten. God is promising me that He will lead me in ways of eating that I have not known, or accepted as a lifelong habit. He is promising us in Isaiah 42:16 to turn our darkness into light. He has shone a bright light into my darkness illuminating a beautiful solution to a lifetime of overeating. He has sent a ray of sunlight upon a simple solution to ending my cravings and compulsions. All I have to do is choose the foods that He created. His foods have already changed me. I no longer have the physical compulsions that seriously made me think I was crazy and could not change my future without medication. My darkness is now flooded with a light and my soul is excited because I can see the path ahead. It will not be a perfect journey but God promises us here that He will make the rough places smooth and that He will not forsake us. I can reach up even on the days when I feel the dark compulsions and grab God’s hand and He will lead me through that bumpy, rough path into the light of choosing healthy foods.

Prayer: Thank You Father for this beautiful change in my path of life. I know that there are times when I am blind to the simple truths You have given me. Then there are times when I can see and choose to walk in the darkness. And there are times I see Your light clearly and I know I am on the right path. I thank You for this verse that reminds me that You will lead me in ways that I have not known. You will smooth the rough paths and turn the dark into light before me. I love the image of You walking before me to prepare the path I need to walk. I can keep choosing the path of overeating but it will not be prepared by You. It will be rough and full of consequences that I do not want. God, why do I sacrifice my weight, my self-control, my self-perceptions for twenty to thirty minutes of overeating? I have to admit that I love sugar and carbs. Take the mental temptations away from me. I want to keep them from You because it is the jewelry that I want to keep from You while I give You all my other possessions. Eating these foods at times relaxes me, serves as a friend, allows me a rebellion I am convinced I deserve. I know this is my blindness created by closing my eyes to the consequences of walking in the dark. I am ruining my health by putting in foods that do not nourish my body. I am creating weight gain that I do not want… and yet I squeeze my eyes shut and refuse to fully open them. I close my fist and hold on to these options.  Today I want to open my fist and give You this tarnished jewelry. And yet, I hold back. This is where I need You to take over. I am desperate to accept Your guidance despite my reluctance. Today I am going to choose not to be blind. I am going to take Your hand and walk the difficult, unfamiliar path of denying myself even when I do not want to. You promise me that You will not forsake me so let’s make this happen. God foods here I come. Thank You God for reminding me that You will smooth my rough paths. I love You.