Life Plan Devotion #134 [All the way]

Mark 4:35-38 "On the same day, when evening had come, [Jesus] said to [His disciples], 'Let us cross over to the other side.' Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, 'Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?'" (NKJV)

When I read this in my quiet time, for the first time I noticed what Jesus said, in verse 35, "Let us cross over to the other side." It was as if God was saying to me, "I have plans for My people. My plan is not for them to fail halfway, or to stop halfway, or to die halfway." God has plans for you to make it all the way!
But while you're on your journey, someone else has the ability to project lies and thoughts that are exactly opposite of God's plans. He'll say things like, "You're going bankrupt. Your business is failing. Your family's going to get sick. You're going to die."
The devil is the one who comes up with thoughts that are the opposite of God's. The reason is he wants you to believe him, not God, and if you do, you'll have his ways instead of God's ways.
But Jesus said, "Let us cross over to the other side." That was the plan. They got in the boat, and Jesus fell asleep in the back. He was at peace, full of the assurance that His Father was with Him. He wasn't worried about a thing.
While they were crossing by boat, a storm broke. The winds blew, the waves rose, and the boat was soon full of water. The frantic disciples went to Jesus and woke Him up, crying, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"
That's what was said, but it was first a thought. Someone thought, "We're going to die!" And someone said (Thomas, my guess), "We're going to die!" Fear spreads. Satan whispered a thought of fear, and they believed the circumstances rather than God's Word, which contains God's Thoughts and plans, and makes God's way available.
Jesus, Word made flesh, had said, "You are going to the other side," but the circumstances said, "You're going to die here." Someone chose to listen to the suggestion of the circumstances, hide it in his heart, worry about it, and speak it from his mouth.
Waking Jesus was like the way we pray when we're afraid, "God, I'm sick. Don't You care?" Or, "Lord, don't You see that I'm going broke?" That's the sequence: negative circumstance => negative thought => negative emotion => negative speech.
It doesn't stop there, though. The result is that God's plan for your life, His intended miracle for you, gets reversed. Rather than taking God's Word and allowing it to make His way available, the decision is made by the doubter to reverse the intended order of things.
Does God ever plan for you to fail? No. Meditate on the fact that God intends for you to succeed, to live, to get to the other side! Get it down inside your heart so deep that when the waves come, you'll see that they are nothing. Remember this, God's voice may be softer than the breeze, but it's louder than the storm.

What this has to do with weight loss: If you are experiencing a "storm" on your weight-loss journey, pay attention to your thoughts about that negative circumstance. Turn those negative thoughts into positive, faith-filled ones, and you will experience more positive emotions and faith-filled speech, and it's your speech, coupled with faith in God's Word, that will carry you to the other side.

Confession:
God plans for me to make it all the way, and I intend to cooperate with His plans. Satan is a liar, and I refuse to listen to his lies. I refuse to think his lying thoughts. I refuse to speak his lying words. My thoughts, emotions, words, and deeds line up with God's Word, and I will see God's intended miracle plans for me come to pass!

Life Plan Devotion #124 [Strength & Courage]

Joshua 1:5-9 "No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth, meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go" (NIV).

Joshua became leader, after the death of Moses. Joshua must have been hesitant, perhaps even fearful, for three times in Joshua 1:5-9 God says to Joshua, "Be strong and courageous." Joshua accepted Moses' place as leader. God's will for him was Joshua's will, and even if Joshua may have felt inadequate or fearful, he believed God's Word.
Joshua knew something each of us should "know," that going "all out" for God is the unfailing prerequisite for success, in every area of life. What did "success" mean, for Joshua? It was believing in and seeing the fulfillment of that which God had spoken over him, "You and Israel will be able to take this land" (Joshua 1:8e, CEV).
Dear reader, God has a good plan for you, for you to be successful. Will you trust Him? Will you believe Him? Will you follow His Word? Will you be "available" to God, for Him to use you? Will you accept the "place" He has for you? Will you go "all out" for Him? Will you "be strong and courageous," because He has spoken those words over you? If you can say a heartfelt "yes!" to each of those questions, then you and those you "lead" (your family) will be able to experience success, to take hold of it.

What this has to do with weight loss: The weight-loss journey, especially when it involves weight-loss surgery, takes strength and courage. You are not alone. The same God who encouraged young Joshua with "Be strong and courageous" says the same thing to you today, and as you believe in Him and trust in and follow His Word, you will conquer and experience success, which was God's plan for you all along.

Confession:
"Yes, God."

Life Plan Devotion #46 [Next step]

As I was praying about where the Lord would have us go, after finishing the F.I.R.S.T. Place mini devotional yesterday, I kept "hearing" the words "next step." Each time I'd pray, "Yes, Lord. That's what I'm asking. What is the next step?" Again, I'd hear, "next step." Well, it finally clicked with me that He was giving me the content of today's devotion...next step. I'm a little slow, sometimes. :)
I remember when each of my children learned to walk. I'd get them to stand up, then I'd kneel a few feet in front of them and say, "Come to Mommy," holding my arms out and smiling (perhaps bribing them with a toy). Inevitably, the child would take a wobbly step and then promptly fall down. Each time the "game" was repeated, though, the child would take one more step than the time before, until, finally, he/she was walking. Precious memories.
What's the next step for you, that you need to take? God has a plan for your life, and He's right there, to help you take the next step. Perhaps life is dark right now, and you can't even see to take one step. Know that He "will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). Yes, it does take faith to step where all seems dark, but as Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole situation."

Psalm 37:23-24 [NIV]
"The LORD delights in the way of the man whose steps He has made firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with His hand."

What this has to do with weight loss: There are steps to success in the weight-loss journey. Many of them are well-known, but some of them are different, tailor made to the individual's weight-loss journey. When you're at a weight-loss journey crossroads, and you're not sure which way to go next, ask the One who knows what's ahead. He will order your steps.

Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, there are times when I'm not sure which way to go or what is the next step in Your plan for me. Those are the times when I rely on You to help me know what to do. I thank You that You have promised never to leave me nor forsake me. Thank You that Your promises are true, and You are a God of Your Word. I lift my hand up to You, and I ask You to take hold of it and lead me on to the next step of my journey. According to Your Word (Proverbs 3:6), I acknowledge You in all my ways, and I know You will direct my path. In Jesus' Name. Amen."

Go forth today, taking the next step illumined by the light of The One Who Is the Light Of The World.