Honest Scales

 Proverbs 16:11  Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord; all the weights in the bag are of His making. NIV

Actually, this passages is talking about how some people in Biblical times had different different deceitful weights. Merchants used these weights to put on the scale when they sold something, so it looked like it weighed much more, giving them more profit, that wasn't honest. 

About six months ago, I realized my food regimen was getting sloppy again, which usually corresponds to my relationship with Christ becoming sloppy. After lots of prayerful contemplation, it was on my heart that I needed to do what Christ first showed me related to both. Then, I prayed and asked Christ to be in control of my food, body, eating, and stress, which led to His being in charge of these things, instead of me obsessing over them.

It was such a freeing relief, when I prayed this again. I had been slopping out some watered down version of this, on a daily basis, but that's why my relationship with Jesus Christ was getting sloppy. After focused praying this, my eating regimen changed almost immediately, and I was no longer craving junk food that had been appealing to me, prior to this. That sense of calm that only Christ can give, has returned again. I need to be honest, and not use deceitful weights, when I'm assessing my eating, my life choices, and my relationship with Christ. If He hadn't shown me this, I would have still been floundering around fooling myself into thinking that my relationship with Him was focused, like it should be!

A Pain in the Neck...

 Deuteronomy 9:13  And the Lord said to me, I have seen this people, and they are a stiff-necked people indeed! NIV

Well, when the Lord says that people are stiff-necked, it means they are stubborn, which suits me to a tee! Of late, I have had a stiff neck and after prayerful contemplation, I ended up in the doctor's office. I thought something worse was going on, and the doctor reassured me that it wasn't what I thought.

What he told me was that I was pushing myself too hard and I also let stress get the best of me! That caused the pinched nerve, etc. to become aggravated. His diagnosis was right on the money! I had been pushing myself pretty hard over the last couple of months. I didn't listen to the warning signs that Christ gives me that it was affecting my body.

That's where the stiff-necked, stubborn part comes into play. I am so stubborn that even when I have warning signs, I still think I can accomplish whatever I'm doing despite the warnings by body gives me! Not only is it stubborn, but it's prideful, because I'm disregarding Christ's lead in my life, thinking because I have determined I can do something, that it will happen. Often, that stubborn, stiff-necked pride comes at a cost...a pain in the neck, and weeks of regretting the damage I did to my body!

Backsliding, but Moving Forward Toward the Light

 Jeremiah 3:22 Return faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding. Yes, we will come to You, for You are the Lord our God. NIV

I most often think of backsliding, when I realize that my eating regimen is getting sloppy. That usually seems to happen when my faith in Christ, our Lord and Savior, is also getting sloppy. This last week, I found myself in the midst of a prayer, and within seconds I was thinking about something totally unrelated.

How quickly I am able to backslide, when I know how wonderfully, the Lord God has dramatically improved my life. He has showed me to turn my life, my food, body, and stressors over to His very capable hands. When I get distracted in the middle of my prayer, I short-circuit that on so many levels.

In addition to it undermining my prayer, which is my direct line with my Lord who saves me from myself, and the worries of the world. He also gives me focus and moves me forward in a more selfless way, so everything isn't just about me. There are many out there who need His warm embrace in their daily lives, as well. 

The Storms of Life

 Psalm 55:8-9 I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm. Lord confuse the wicked and [frustrate] their words for I see violence and [conflict] in the city. NIV 

This passage seems very appropriate, right now. At the time I wrote this post, behind me, the newscasters are giving a play-by-play report on those trying to decide whether to shelter-in-place or flee for safety, due to the most recent hurricane. Yes, the Bible is still pertinent to our lives today.

But it is even more relevant, related to the unrest in our world these days. It feels like there are people coming out of the woodwork, saying things that confuse me and make me want to hide my head in the sand and wait until all the conflict is over. 

Sure, it's enough to make me want to eat myself into oblivion, but Christ has shown me that I need to turn all the stress from the storms of our world, into His very capable hands. Every time, I do this, I don't feel so overwhelmed or tempted to overeat, and He makes me able to move forward, one step at a time.