God IS my portion...

Last night, we started our time together asking the question, "How many of you have an 'I Have A Dream' section of your closet?" You know, that one piece of clothing or a whole wardrobe that you haven't fit into for years? You have a dream that one day you will, but it is NOT happening any time soon!

I had a pair of what I believed to be Old Navy denim capri pants in a size 10. They didn't fit for a long time as I was a tight 18 at best...I'm trying to erase the memories of buying a size 20 from my mind, but it is still there. I worked and cried and worked and succeeded in losing the weight. Time for a wardrobe change...and what did I discover? That one item I wanted to wear...a size 10 Old Navy SHORTS? Yes, they ended up being more like long shorts that hit me at the knees...why did I buy those in the first place? Never mind. I still put them on, and they were too big at that point. But, I had hit success. Or so I thought.

As Lysa Terkeurst says in Made to Crave, "If my happy is missing when I am larger, it will still be missing when I am smaller." So TRUE people. Sure, you can buy smaller sized clothing and not have a mental fall apart in the dressing room. But, your happy won't be found there. Momentary delight..yes...Happiness...no. The books reminds us that tying my happiness to the wrong thing is partially what caused my weight gain in the first place, and attaching my happiness to food, skinny jeans, exercise, etc. sets me up for failure.

We all have a soul longing to be filled...like a vacuum. God instilled in us a longing to be filled to draw us into deep intimacy with Him!
If we fail to understand how to fill our souls with spiritual nourishment, we will forever be triggered to numb our longings with other temporary pleasures!

Then, we dove head first into God's good Word! We looked at Isaiah 55:8-12 which tells us to remain in God’s love so that we won’t tie our happiness to anything else! This is such a good word to memorize...God’s ways and thoughts are NOT like ours. He has a BETTER plan! Do you know what it is for your life? The Creator of the Universe made YOUR body, and He knows what foods and exercises and daily lifestyles will work best for you. Go to Him to seek wisdom on how you should proceed!

My favorite part of this passage is the knowledge that His WORD will NOT come back void. It is powerful. In times of need, speak it!!! Know that it WILL accomplish what God set it out to do. When you are hungry or sad or lonely or angry, speak His Word. But how can you speak it if you don’t know it? Let's look to Colossians 3:16 where we are encouraged to let the word of Christ RICHLY dwell in us. Not just a little bit but in depth. How much time do you spend on Facebook or sending emails or talking on the phone? How does that compare with time in His Word?

Exodus 16:2-4 shows us a process of portion control that God put into place intended to put the in the habit of dependence on God alone each day. God PROVIDED for His people! Not their wants but their needs. He is the CREATOR of PORTION control. Find out what the right portions of protein/carbs/fat are for your body type, weight and age. Then, stick to it!

Lamentations 3:22-24 is a reminder for us: rejoice that His mercies are NEW EVERY DAY! Sometimes all we need is to sleep!In fact, that is critical to getting healthy...plenty of sleep!

May He be our SATISFACTION! May He alone be our portion each day! Run to Him today...frequently. Sit at His feet. All else can wait..this is YOUR life, and He wants to use YOU for His kingdom. Repeat this mantra today...it's for MY good and HIS great glory...for MY good and HIS great glory. Rewind. Repeat. Rewind. Repeat.