Daily Bible Reading - Thursday - April 1st

I was watching a preacher on tv last night and he had a word that really struck me, he was talking about living a victorious life, prospering in the things you do for the Lord even in this economy and other situations we face he said “ I’m to blessed to be stressed" he said he confesses that all day when his day gets stressful and the Lord always seems to bless him and relax him.  That short word really blessed me and made me realize that when we are blessed there really is no need to be stressed, its only satan trying to stress us out and make us lose the blessing, well Im here to tell satan that its NOT gonna work!!

Then I got to talking to the Lord about my eating habits and how I am really frustrated the last few days and things started popping into my head, dunno if I can remember it all but we’ll give it a go. There are a lot of things that we cannot control in life. We cannot control the weather, the air that we breathe and we can't control the people around us. But we can control what we put into our mouths. Many people don't realize today the reason they don't feel well and the reason they don't have any energy. They're dealing with headaches and allergies and sometimes even more serious, chronic illnesses, simply because of what they're putting into their system everyday.

And a lot of times, we're praying for God to give us a miracle. "God, I don't feel well." "God, I need more energy." And "God, take away these headaches."  Well, we really don't need a miracle; we need a lifestyle change. We need to develop better habits to take care of our temple. That’s exactly what the WLS is suppose to do for us, its just taken all this time to get through my think skull. 

A hundred years ago, we didn't have the heart disease and the cancer that we have today. What's changed? Our diet. We live off of much more processed, refined foods; foods that have chemicals and preservatives to make them last longer but they're not necessarily good for us.

We've developed bad habits of eating junk foods, eating too much food, and not drinking enough water. All of these things can be harmful to us.

We can learn a lot about the benefits from healthy eating from Daniel in the Bible. He knew the importance of eating a healthy diet. When he was a young man, just a teenager, the king in that region told the officials to go find the strongest, healthiest, most intelligent young men to serve in the king's court. And Daniel was chosen. The officials were instructed to feed these young men with the king's rich, fancy foods and to give them plenty of wine. The king wanted them to be the strongest and healthiest as they possibly could be.

But Daniel was a breed apart. He served God with his whole heart. Because he knew some of those foods had been offered up to idols and knew many of them were not good for him, he told the official, "I don't want to eat this food. Just give me fresh vegetables and water."

The official didn't know what to think. Finally, he said, "All right Daniel, we'll let you try this for a little while. But in a few days, we're going to see how you compare to these other young men."

Ten days later, the Bible says, Daniel was stronger, healthier, and he ended up 10 times smarter than the other young men. Yes, he had God's blessings and favor but he was also putting the right fuels into his temple. While the other guys were eating their donuts, and candy bars and junk food, Daniel was filling up on nutritious foods.

I wonder how much smarter we would be if we'd just start eating the right foods? I wonder how much more creative, more energetic, and more productive we'd be if we'd eliminate a few of the sugars or carbs and instead, start eating more fruit. Or, if we'd start snacking on nuts and raisins and give up some of the colas and candy bars. It worked for Daniel. I bet it'd work for us. This is why I am so excited for spring and summer to get here so that we can get the fresh veggies and fruits, they are so much better for us and taste way better.  Well I’ve rattled on long enough, I have a lot more of what God is speaking to me about but we’ll save it for another day.  Sorry I got on a soap box and all this was what God is speaking to me about my own health, I just thought I’d share it.  You all have a great day!! Enjoy the warmth and sunshine.

Today’s Reading

Deuteronomy 18:1-20:20
Luke 9:28-50
Psalm 73:1-28
Proverbs 12:10

Daily Devotional

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us…raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus"
(Ephesians 2:4-7, NKJ)

Oftentimes, people set their focus on what God has done in the past—how He parted the Red Sea or stopped the sun for Joshua or fed thousands of people with just a little boy's small lunch. Yes, God has performed many amazing miracles throughout history; and it's important that we give Him praise, but at the same time, we also have to look forward to what God wants to do in our lives today.

In today's verse, Paul says that "in the ages to come" God would do things that exceed anything He's ever done before. I believe that the "ages to come" is this day and time we're living in right now. God wants to outdo Himself in our generation! Remember, God is a God of increase. Where you are today is not where you are supposed to stay. He has greater levels of His favor and blessing in store for your future. Dare to dream big! Dare to keep a God-sized vision in front of you! Dare to take hold of every spiritual blessing He has in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for showing me Your love. Today I open my heart and mind to You so that I can see the greatness of what You want to do in my life. Use me for Your glory. In Jesus' Name, Amen.