Life Plan Devotion #86 [God's Armor--Helmet of Salvation, Part IV]

The Helmet of Salvation, of Ephesians 6:17, is meant to equip you for deliverance. When we come to Christ, we are saved, delivered from the punishment of sin. However, we still live in a body bent toward sin, and that "bent" is the gauntlet that gets thrown down, an invitation to battle. The Helmet of Salvation is meant to remind us that we have been redeemed, and, as true believers, have the Holy Spirit resident within. If we yield to Him, if we "clothe [ourselves] with the Lord Jesus Christ," we will "not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature" (Romans 13:14).
We have an enemy who is called the "accuser of the brethren" (Revelation 12:10), and true to his name, he will whisper doubts to a believer who is battling his/her fleshly nature. He will ask, "Are you sure you're saved? If you were really saved, you wouldn't be thinking those thoughts [or doing those things]!" His purpose is to try to steal away the joy of your salvation. The Helmet of Salvation is meant to remind you that "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life has set [you] free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:1-2).
The Helmet of Salvation gives you access to grace and mercy. Grace is God giving you what you do not deserve, and mercy is God not giving you what you do deserve. Allow the assurance of grace and mercy to defeat every mind maneuver of the enemy.

Psalm 13:5-6 [NIV]
"I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for He has been good to me."

What this has to do with weight loss: When you're going through a difficult place on the weight-loss path (a stall, for example), it is very tempting to give in to discouragement. It is helpful to remind yourself that you can trust in God's unfailing love for you, and make the decision to rejoice, for He will deliver you. The Lord has been good to you. Let that heart song come up and out, and see how your body reacts.

Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, I have a sinful nature, and it and I do battle on a daily basis, it seems. Satan uses it to accuse me, but I don't have to let him. I have the power of the Cross that shouts him down every time! I thank You for Grace and Mercy...Grace that says "yes" to deliverance and Mercy that says "no" to defeat. I rejoice in them, in You, today. Amen."

Go forth today with joy, celebrating your Helmet of Salvation, full of grace, mercy, and power to silence every accusation of the enemy.

Life Plan Devotion #74 [God's Armor--Shield of Faith, Part II]

Ephesians 6:16 says, "Above all, taking the shield of faith..." [New King James Version]. Today, let's focus on the phrase "Above all," and, by reading from various Bible translations, its meaning may be enhanced.
"Above all" can simply mean "In addition to" [New International Version] or "Also use" [New Century Version]. Those phrases point to the Shield of Faith as being another piece (the fourth) of the Armor of God.
"Above all" can mean "In all things" [Wycliffe New Testament], "In all circumstances" (English Standard Version], and "In every situation" [Holman Christian Standard Bible]. These phrases point to the importance of using the Shield of Faith at all times.
"Above all" can also mean "Lift up over all" [Amplified Version]. This phrase shows that the Shield of Faith will protect all of the other pieces of armor, if used correctly.
Take some time today to think about how you see your Shield of Faith. Is it simply another piece of God's Armor? Do you know how to use your Shield of Faith? Do you use your Shield of Faith seldom, sometimes, often, or always?
How you view and use your Shield of Faith will determine your level of victory or defeat in the spiritual battle in which you're engaged on a daily basis. In order to improve your results, you must first take an honest look at yourself as a Christian soldier and evaluate how well you're using the tools given to you by your commander, God.

I Thessalonians 3:10 [NLT]
"Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith."

What this has to do with weight loss: When there are gaps in your knowledge of what to do when you are in a weight-loss stall or are experiencing even a minor post-surgery complication, you will feel confusion and frustration. The same thing happens when there are gaps in your faith. Others are praying for you. Allow them to help you "fill in the gaps," in whatever areas are lacking.

Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, when I came to You, in faith, believing in You and the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus, I was given a most wonderful gift, salvation. Along with that gift, I was given faith to live the Christian life and to 'fight the good fight of faith.' I want to use every tool You've given to me, Lord, and I want to use them well. Help me to see any gaps in how I view or use faith, for that can make the difference between victory and defeat. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen."

Go forth today, determined to identify and close up any faith gaps.

Life Plan Devotion #26 [Wait]

I have been asked how I am given the daily devotion. The day before, I "hear" a verse of scripture or a topic from the Lord--something He puts on my heart. I meditate on it, think about it, pray about it, and just let it "percolate." Sometimes, I wake up in the night and think about it some more, often receiving more direction from the Lord, in prayer. In the morning, when I awake, I am usually able to sit down at the computer and allow God's message to flow through my fingers. He is faithful. All I have to do is listen and be obedient.
Yesterday, however, no topic came. By last night, I'll admit, I was a bit nervous. I knew, though, that God would come through, for I know that He has absolutely been "all over" this daily devotion, from the very first one. At 3:00 a.m., I awoke with a start and "heard" the word "Wait." I reached for my concordance and began to look up scripture with the word "wait." While it was a precious time of reading the Word, no certain scripture jumped out at me.
I began to pray for guidance in how to develop today's devotion around the word "Wait." After praying, I just got quiet, to listen. I felt led to go to www.GodTube.com (now called Tangle), and, once there, I simply typed in the word "Wait" at the Search. There were 2 videos listed with just that word as the title. The first one, while very nice, was not the one. The second one was the one.
I believe that there is someone--actually, more than one person--who needs to hear the message in this song, "Wait." I want you to know that this song is absolutely for you, today, from Almighty God. For those of you who are ministered by this song today, I ask that you reply. All you have to type is "This was for me" and, if you're willing, give me your first name. My pledge to you is that I will pray for you today. http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=332c014fdf6576afd323

Psalm 27:14 [NLT]
"Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD."

What this has to do with weight loss: The weight-loss journey is one full of waiting. You must wait for insurance approval or the money to pay for weight-loss surgery. You must wait for a surgery date, fulfilling pre-op requirements. You may be required to lose some weight on your own, first, or go through a six-month supervised diet. Perhaps you have had weight-loss surgery, and you're now waiting for your body to heal. Perhaps you're waiting for a plateau or stall to end or waiting to reach your goal weight. So much waiting. There's nothing inactive about waiting. While you're waiting, remember to wait patiently for the Lord, for as you do, He will reward your bravery and courage.

Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, I'll be honest...waiting can be so hard and so lonely. Help me to know that You're with me, as I'm waiting for the next part of my journey to happen. Help me to be brave and courageous. Help me to wait on You to work on my behalf. May I wait patiently for You, Lord, and all You have for me, and may I be diligent to not give up. In Jesus' Name. Amen."

Go forth today, and wait, with courage.

Life Plan Devotion #11 [Detour]

Nothing causes me more stress when driving than a detour. I don't like that kind of surprise. I want to know where I'm going and exactly how to get there. In life, however, sometimes a detour can be a most awesome experience.
You've experienced a detour, probably. It's when life is going as planned, and then something happens and things change. It's surprising, it's full of uncertainty, it's stressful. The question we often ask, when a detour happens, is "Why?" However, a better question to ask is "What's next?" Can you hear the whine in the first question? Can you hear the anticipation in the second question?
One day, you'll be able to look back over the detours in your life (if you haven't done so already) and be able to see how God was working out a better path in your life, perhaps even better than you could have ever dreamed.

Psalm 143:8 [NIV]
"Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul."

What this has to do with weight loss: In the area of weight loss, one example of a detour is the dreaded stall. It's very tempting to whine, when experiencing a stall, but what good does that do. However, if you ask yourself, "What's next?" you will have the opportunity to brainstorm a game plan, and before you know it, the stall (which was probably a body adjustment, anyway) will be over and you'll be releasing weight once again.

Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, show me the way I should go, today, for to You I lift up my soul. I pray that I will continue to learn from my past experiences and decisions, letting You present me with a detour, if necessary. Thank You, in advance, for any detours I have yet to face, that will ultimately bring me closer to You. Guide me to those moments that will take my breath away with gratitude for Your direction in my life. I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen."

Go forth today, and follow God's roadmap for your life.

Life Plan Devotion #2 [Perseverance]

To persevere means "to persist in pursuing something in spite of obstacles or opposition." Think back on your life. When did you persevere, kept at something until you accomplished it? What caused you to keep going, with long-term stamina? Why was giving up not an option?
Perhaps your mission, your goal, was God-given, even if you didn't realize it at the time. There was an inner prompting to restore a relationship, heal from abuse, forgive an offender, begin a ministry, or find a new job. Perhaps there was an encouraging inner push to raise your demanding toddler with patience, pray for an unsaved spouse, be a godly witness during a crisis, or wait patiently for your dream to materialize.
Persevering, despite trials and obstacles, is God-given and God-honoring. Pray, and decide where you believe God wants you to be ten years from now, then take the first step in that direction. Yes, the first step is the hardest, but God will help you take the second step, if you take the first one. Continue to pray with faith...expectant faith, and keep going.

Romans 5:3-4
"...We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." [NIV]

What this has to do with weight loss: Perhaps you are newly out from weight-loss surgery, are in the soft-food stage of eating, and experiencing a stall. Even though you know that stall is common, it's still frustrating. Perhaps you are looking at the many pounds you need to lose, and it seems like such a daunting, discouraging task. Remind yourself that if you know the Lord, you are not alone. He will help you to keep going, one day, one pound, at a time. Don't give up five minutes before your miracle.

Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, help me to learn to rejoice in my journey and to rejoice in every obstacle, trial and suffering, because I know that 'suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.' Today, I pray that I will become a woman/man of extreme perseverance, not letting delays and difficulties discourage me. I ask, especially, for persistence that will build my character and give me hope, when I'm in Life's waiting room. Help me to see that it's actually easier for me to persevere than to live with the regret of having given up hope and let go of a dream. Thank You for Your gift of perseverance. I pray in the Name of Jesus. Amen."

Go forth today, and persevere!