Life Plan Devotion #121 [Just do it]

Joshua 1:8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success" (NKJV).

We have looked at two of the three "my part" clauses in this promise of success. Today, let's look at the third clause of Joshua 1:8, "that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it."
The Hebrew word for "observe" for Joshua 1:8c is shâmar (shaw-mar’), which means "guard, protect, attend to: be circumspect, take heed, keep, mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, watch."
It is not enough to read God's Word. Without illumination of the Holy Spirit, without being circumspect ("heedful of circumstances or consequences," Webster's), the reader may as well be reading the newspaper or a novel, for all the good it will do him/her.
The following is a list of how some versions state our Joshua 1:8c clause:
--"...so that you may be careful to do everything written in it" (TNIV).
--"...take heed to do according to all that is written therein" (Darby).
--"...Make sure you do everything that is written in it" (NIRV).
--"...observe and do according to all that is written in it" (Amplified).
--"...obey it completely" (CEV).
--"...obey everything that is written there" (NCV).
--"...making sure you practice everything written in it" (Message).
God's Word is our instruction book, and it is essential that we know it and mediate on it. There is a third key aspect, and that is that we must do what the Word tells us to do. In John 14:15, Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments" (NKJV). He also said, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching" (John 14:23, NIV).
I remember seeing a church marquee that said something like, "If you're a child of the king, there ought to be a family resemblance." How true! I fear we have many who think they are Christians, may have grown up in the church, may attend church, may even have signed a card or repeated a prayer, but are not truly born again.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not judging. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23, KJV), but each of us must take a good long look at our own life, at what we see, say, and do. In First John 2:3, we are told, "We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands" (NIV).
God's Word is meant to transform us, to help us "look" more like our Father and King. In James 1:22-25, we are admonished to "be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth]. For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his [own] natural face in a mirror; For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like. But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the [law] of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience)" (Amplified).
Reading, meditating on, heeding and obeying God's Word is not legalism; it is liberty. It's the "my part" of the promises found in Joshua 1:8 and James 1:25 (among many other promises).

What this has to do with weight loss: As you allow God's Word to transform you on the inside, your "outside" will reflect that, as well. See what God's Word has to say about your weight-loss journey, and then just do it. The end result will be amazing.

Confession:
I read, meditate on, heed, and obey God's Word, so I can claim God's promises.

Life Plan Devotion #97 [God's Armor--Helmet of Salvation, Part XV]

When you take the Helmet of Salvation (Deliverance) and the Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God), part of the Armor of God and given to every believer (Ephesians 6:17), you have everything you need to defeat Satan, as he seeks to cause you to give in to the fourth most common fear, the fear of death/dying.
When you know what the Word of God has to say about death, you will feel reassurance, and you will have the arsenal you need to speak to the enemy and watch him retreat. You are not alone. The psalmist tells us, and it is true, that "The Lord's eye is upon those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe], who wait for Him and hope in His mercy and loving-kindness, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine" (Psalm 33:18-19).
Even if you're given a terminal diagnosis, as was Hezekiah in Isaiah 38:1-5, you can call on God for help, as did Hezekiah. He "prayed to the LORD, [saying,] 'Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in Your eyes.' And Hezekiah wept bitterly." Notice that Hezekiah lived a life in line with God's Word. "Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: 'Go and tell Hezekiah...I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add 15 years to your life." When Satan whispers, "You're going to die," you tell him, "Let's see what God has to say!"
God says, "The number of your days I will fulfill" (Exodus 23:26). This is a promise to those who worship Him wholeheartedly (Exodus 23:24-25). God says, "With long life will I satisfy [the one who loves Me] and show him my salvation" (Psalm 91:16). When Satan tries to present you with the fear of death/dying, you tell him, "I love and worship God. He knows the exact number of days I will live, and He's promised it will be a long, satisfying life, so you have no say so in the matter. Get behind me, Satan!"

I Corinthians 15:56-58 [NIV]
"The sting of death is sin... But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm..."

What this has to do with weight loss: Through Jesus' death on the Cross, we have spiritual and physical victory over sin, even the sin of gluttony, which caused us to put on many pounds of pain and resulted in many physical and emotional consequences. Through Jesus, and as a true believer, you have ultimate victory on your weight-loss journey. May that encourage you to "stand firm," when you experience the occasional slip or stall.

Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, I thank You that through the death of Your Son and my Savior, Jesus Christ, I have victory over sin, no matter the sin, no matter the consequence of the sin. How I praise You for that! The enemy would have me believe that he has the power to bury me, but as Your child, as someone who loves You and lives for You, I have You on my side. How I praise You for that! Give me the courage and the boldness to claim and proclaim Your promises of long life, whenever the enemy comes to me with the fear of death/dying, for Your Word is greater than his word. In Jesus' Name. Amen."

Go forth today, speaking God's powerful Word, knowing that the enemy's scheme to put fear of death/dying on you will be defeated.