December 12
HAPPY 12-12-12 !
Enjoy it while you can!HAPPY 12-12-12 !
You won't see another date pattern like this for
another 88 & 1 / twelfth years!
The first day of January in almost a century from now, 2101, will have the pattern
01-01-01
:)
Speaking of PATTERNS -- It is so COOL to find
Patterns of Encouragement
in God's Word.
Patterns to help you REMEMBER God's encouragement as you diet -- or anything else. For example, look at all of the
CHAPTER 12 VERSE 12 patterns in scriptures.
DEUTERONOMY 12:12 read it here
"And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God...."
WHY? (It's important to look at surrounding verses.) Because "He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety" (verse 10). God KNOWS we need rest from all the types of enemies -- especially temptations to not trust Him, temptations to pride, temptations to have fears about money, and of course the chief topic of this blog set, temptations to eat too much to give ourselves comfort. And God SHALL give us rest as we need -- First Corinthians 10:13.
"...rejoicing in Hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer...."
Just a few things that God reminds us to do.... there's a long list if short, easy phrases that God shares. Verse 8 is about encouraging others, and 9 is to love without hypocrisy and abhor evil...By our definitions, overeating is not "evil." Yet it's not a great witness to our great God.
Verse 8 definitely fits -- let us encourage one another, even amid temporary failures!
And verse 9 -- as we DO lose weight, let us not start preaching at those still in the process of getting handle, with God's help, on eating patterns. Our HOPE-- God will help!
My VICTORY -- staying patient and waiting on God even when the scale won't budge.
My SOURCE -- our relationship with LORD God, talking with him "steadfastly in prayer."
ACTS 12:12 read it here
(Peter's just been miraculously freed from jail by an angel). So when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary... where many were gathered together praying...."
How often do I remember to thank God for statistically-improbable answers to prayer?How often do I gather with friends to pray for help in a "normal" setting -- not just church?
Maybe if I, if we, had a daily plan to meet with God, any temptations in other times would seem unimportant enough to bother being tempted with.... I mean, I even forget to thank God before each meal. (Please forgive me, LORD.) Suppose I were to 'say grace' for every snack also?.......
First CORINTHIANS 12:12 read it here
This fits SO perfectly with Acts 12:12 ---- The original Greek is awkward to translate so here is a paraphrase:
The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ." When we support each other, it's so much easier to behave as Christ would.
In ANY area.... not just bad habits.
One more for today: REVELATION 12:12 read it here
"Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time."
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE "GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS" verses --
The good news is that we don't have to put up with Satan's attacks on us after we die!
The bad news is --- no, wait, there IS NO bad news! Because it fits the
PATTERN OF GOD'S LOVE even if not the PATTERN OF 12:12--
First CORINTHIANS 15: 57 read it here
THANKS BE TO GOD, WHO GIVES US THE VICTORY through our LORD Jesus Christ!
PRAYER -- Lord, please continue to protect me from temptations. Forgive those I gave in to. And please help me openly see others whom I can encourage as I go through this phase in life, fighting self-centeredness that comes in the form of overeating.
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