Dogs and Deer and Diets .............. by DianaDee Osborne

December 10

Night driving.... It's not enough to just stay on the road
minding your own business.
      Watch out for the 3  D's
       I would tell the youth group --        
                  Dogs,   Deer,   and   Drunks.

What does all this have to do with dieting?

I confess:   I think in weird strands of parables.  I rather enjoy God's odd ideas.
And that includes a parable of Dogs and Deer and Diets:

I've been fighting weight gain all my adult life.
Sometimes I wonder if it's punishment for whining to a church lady while I was in high school,
      "No matter what I eat or don't eat,  I always weight 112."   [pounds].
On this side of metabolic body changes, I understand the look she gave me.

And I confess:
One of the main reasons why I re-gained weight lost whenever I did was carelessness.
I looked ahead-- stayed on the road.

But didn't watch out for things that might JUMP OUT in front of me and

     snatch my attention to watching them instead.......
           temptations that would end up causing my life to run into the ditch,   like dogs.

Temptations that would bang into the side of my car,  like deer.
How DOES that species keep growing, considering how many jump in front of cars???

Temptations from self-destructive people that would bring me to destruction too
     if I didn't pray for God's protection.  And watch out.   First Peter 5:8 and on

Often I pray -- once more-- to God with embarrassment.....
         Who wants to admit staying in 7th grade for 15 years?
                  Seems like I should "grow up" and 
                             graduate from this temptation fight.

Thankfully, God hasn't answered that prayer with a "You're right, you've had enough chances."

Instead, whenever we ask,  God HELPS us watch out for the D's that threaten to get us off His road.   WHEN we ask.

God's Supporting Word

God tells us that there is ANOTHER devourer to beware of:  The LION.
"Be sober, be vigilant; because  your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."  -- First Peter 5:8

But God gives us the WAY OUT  right away -- SHOWS us the DANGER!
"Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world."   AND  James 4: 7-8,  promising that GOD will come to be BESIDE us
if we simply draw near to Him for protection from the Devourer.

PRAYER

God,  it is foolish for us, for me, to avoid praying to you because of embarrassment at past failures.    Please remind us, me constantly to USE  your Ephesians 6: 10-to-end weapons You have already provided.... and not for personal pride, but because I  LOVE  You and YEARN to stop hurting You with my sins.  To stop being such a poor witness to other people of Your Truths in Your Word.  I pray in Jesus's Name,  in thanks that You are faithful in Your promises to help me.... though I must choose to LISTEN and obey.

©2012 DianaDee Osborne; all rights reserved but you are welcome to
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