Life Plan Devotion #4 [Consequences]

Everyone makes mistakes, dumb moves, mess ups. Most consider the resulting consequence the hardest part, but I have come to know that the consequence is the best part. It is the consequence that gives one the opportunity to learn a valuable lesson--the first time, hopefully.
What consequences have you experienced: debt, bitterness, guilt, shame, regret, missed opportunities, need for forgiveness, loss of joy, need for repentance, need to pay retribution, having to face delays (in whatever form)? Whatever your consequence, once you've been there, done that, you never want to go back.
When you choose to live outside God's truth, you will experience painful consequences. These consequences are as natural as burning your finger when you touch a hot stove. They are not punishments sent from a vindictive God. For every cause there is an effect. It's the same in the spiritual world as in the natural world. The purpose of the effect is to drive one back to the cause, where there is a valuable lesson to be learned and personal/spiritual growth to be had.

Isaiah 59:2 [NIV]
"But your iniquities have separated you from your God..."

Joel 2:25 [NLT]
"The LORD says, 'I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts...'"

What this has to do with weight loss: It is a very painful moment, when one realizes that one's choices in the area of eating and lack of tending to one's body have culminated in excess weight, weakness, and, often, sickness and/or disease. To do anything other than care for one's body, our gift from God, is sin. Because it is sin, we are assured that "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9, KJV). After that, with God's help, we begin anew, doing all we can to live an abundant life, in the healthy body God created for us, knowing that God will do His part--doing for/in us that which we cannot do for ourselves.

Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, I do not want my iniquities to separate me from You, so I want to tell You how sorry I am for my sins. Please forgive me today, and shower me with unmerited grace. Thank You that You, as my good and loving Father, discipline me, as would any good and loving parent. Help me to grow, more than I could ever imagine, through consequences that are allowed by You. Only You offer freedom, healing, hope, and a secure future--before, during, and after the necessary consequences. For those consequences that I have faced that were not caused by sin in my life, thank You for seeing me through. In Jesus' Name. Amen."

Go forth today, and learn from every consequence.