Devotion #40

Hi, Everyone.
I apologize for posting later than normal. I wasn't able to sleep until after 2 a.m.; it must be my age.
Today's devotion is from my personal journal dated May 18, 2007. Have a great day and a wonderful weekend. I'll see you on Monday, Lord willing.

     I woke up in pain this morning. I do not like pain! In fact, I dislike even the pain of denying myself food. For many years, I've avoided the tiniest twinge of hunger, because I didn't want to experience any discomfort. It's not just the physical "pain" involved in hunger (true hunger, anyway, although I seldom let myself get to that stage), but it's also the emotional pain that goes with a commitment not to overeat.
     I know the physical discomfort will diminish over time, for my stomach will get used to the fact that I'm not going to be stuffing it anymore. What about the emotional discomfort? Will it also dissipate? I don't know. I hope so. I pray so.
     The goal is to glorify God in my eating and to break free from the sin of gluttony. My flesh craves. It always has; maybe it always will. When I think of how I've tried to avoid pain, I realize that I've ended up with what I was trying to avoid in the first place:  discomfort, aches, and pain, as my body has grown larger and larger.
     It is time to live in my body for Christ, and if that means going through discomfort and pain to do so, I should be more than willing. Perhaps, for me, this is the "living out" of dying to self daily, as Paul talks about in I Corinthians 15:31.
     There are so many diets out there, and most of them promise that you can lose all the weight you want and not be hungry or have to exercise. Sounds pain-free, but, unfortunately, they don't work or don't work for long. There is no way to lose weight and avoid "the cross" that goes along with it. There is suffering that goes with breaking free from a habit, any habit.
     Perhaps this kind of suffering is part of my perfecting process. This process frightens me, because I recognize that I have been stuffing my emotions for years and years. What will I do with them now? In prayer, I felt God was urging me not to run from the pain of crucifying my flesh, but to run to Him, and He will minister to me and guide me through this process.

Today, consider how often you avoid the pain of denying yourself food, by overeating? Are you willing to stop running from the pain of crucifying your flesh daily and run to God? For a believer, the best way to do that is on one's knees. I don't know the name of the girl singing "On My Knees," but she has a beautiful voice. 
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=8fbdb5e3a5c6bf 7b7748

Blessings,
Mary

Oh Mary, you really nailed it with this one.  How weak I am when it comes to pain/discomfort in my physical body, but also in my emotional and spiritual self.  How often do I not turn to the one who was so willing to suffer pain that I could never bear so that I could be His.

Thank you so much for your daily reminders that I will never be strong on my own, only when I turn my weakness over to my Lord.

God bless you for these devotionals.

Donna

Thank you for your sweet words, Donna. Our precious Savior is so willing to help us on this journey we're on. So often, we forget to let Him do that. At least, I forget too often.
Have a blessed day.
Mary