Manna Issue 4 Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD.
What is the Holy Grail of dieting? Bear with me and put up with my humor on this question. The mystery of the Holy Grail is such that it captivates those who hear of it. It has been a source of mystery down through the ages.Those who would search it out for its truths will always be touched by the knowledge that the search brings with it. It remains the most widely accepted myth of all times, and with small wonder when the mere thought that this vessel was used by Jesus at the Last Supper, and touched the lips of Christ and all those who shared the cup with him brings the light of faith rushing into our heart and mind. And the devout still search for it 2,000 years later as if it would have magical anointing and power, rather than seeking the Lord Himself.
But my question was, "What is the Holy Grail of dieting"? What would it take to find that magic formula that would make weight loss a reality? The answers may be simple, but they're not always easy. Obviously, I don't know the answer, or it would have been patented by me long ago. I do know what works, and what doesn't work. The dissatisfaction with our faults and weaknesses prompts us to seek help. Help for us must come from the Lord to achieve results. For the Christian, it is no doubt by placing the Lord in charge of our weight loss plans. But you might think, "Yeah, and it hasn't worked." It can work this time bringing you to total freedom from the weight-gain pattern that you may be accustomed too. The key in our Scripture reflection is that it is God that we must seek with our whole heart, and not dieting mentality.
"Holy Grails" are fads and gimmicks to give us a false start on losing weight, but not a permanent solution. Now it does not matter which plan you are now following, absolutely not! What does matter is that this time we do it, we do it by allowing God to reign as He desires. God wants to take control of this area of our life. Let us look at this example of learning submission. One of the most effective methods of horse-breaking is to put the wild horse in a chute, mount it, and release it into a sand-filled arena. It is interesting to watch the horse as it runs in circles, fighting the depths of the sand until lathered in white foam, and then finally, when it can no longer put one foot in front of the other, gives up. At this point the horse is no longer self-directed, but will allow the rider to dictate its every move. Could it be that once we have dispensed ourselves in every other direction, we are ready to be broken and take our direction from God? Is it that point when we finally give up on dieting as a Holy Grail to magically cure us, that God rushes in and relieves us from all the past burdens and habits that we have had with our weight dilemma? While we continue to look for the Holy Grail of dieting we face setbacks and disappointments.
A fairly new site to the Internet is
http://www.dietfraud.com It is Canadian based, but a lot of sound information may be found here no matter our location. When I discovered it, I couldn't help but to remember Christ's words, For the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. (Luke 16: 8 b). Daily, the desperate seek a cure, any cure. But we know that by just reaching out and touching the hem of Jesus' garment, we will be healed. I believe that before we even begin a diet, we must be armed with knowledge, so that the Lord can turn that into wisdom for us to succeed. Dieting is an industry designed to get consumers to spend. We must admit that we do seek outside help out of frustration (as I did myself) originally. For the Christian any plan might work, but it is by putting God into our plans that we are blessed. Just the other evening I heard on the news that over 60% of Americans are buying diet supplements. I am not sure if I believe those figures. What I do believe is that we are overusing them to find a quicker fix. There is no product that can get it off and keep it off but determination, hard work, and God's grace.
Take heart today! Who knows if this will be the day we finally have freedom from our burden? For me, it was an online diet site that I could equip myself with information and be interested in losing, but the success did not come about until I sought God on how to apply that knowledge with my whole heart. Yes, some of that information I digested in the beginning did not ring true---much other did, but it did not come together as a motivator and encourager until I sought God out to be an interpreter for me on His Word and the importance of applying it in this area of my life. You may have had many false starts and setbacks. You may have tried some very foolish things in your attempt to get the weight off, but the good news is you have today as a new beginning. A fresh start. A past that can be put behind you, and hope for the future. An end to this torment!
God speaks in this Scripture today, "I will be found by you." He is declaring that He WILL point you to the right path. He will guide you. He will journey with you. Because you may have strayed from the right path before, doesn't mean that He has forgotten to call you at last to the right one. We need to keep seeking that perfect path where there is no hesitation in our hearts or backtracking to ask Him to direct us. There will be no obstacles blocking the way once we find it. You might be thinking, "Yes, but for me?" Yes, does the sun rise daily? Does it make an exception for you because you want to sleep in? He declares, "I will be found by you." Believe that because He is so ready to help. Let us close with prayer and implore His help.
Almighty God, spark our interest, ignite our spirits, and grant us grace to overcome our past failures. Be gracious this day, as we call out, "Lord, I believe, help Thou my unbelief." Amen
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