Be Courageous and Do Not Fear!

I was reading a devotional this morning and it hit home as to what we do with our relationship with food. I wanted to share this with all of you so that we may look at this journey with courage and not with fear, to identify the fear that is keeping us from being free from our bondage and to give it all to God...yes, I am saying Total Surrender to Him! Let us trust in Him without wavering. (Psalm 26). Let us walk continually in His Truth!

The answer to our journey is not found with more accountability or more discipline, although those aren't bad things at all. We must be honest about our fear of the unknown and how much we want to be in control and abandon ourselves to the big story that God wants to tell with our lives. He is calling us to a loving, intimate relationship and wants us to join Him in this great adventure."

Romans 8:15 says: for you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear but you have received the Spirit of adoption as daughters, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"

"Because we are beloved daughters of a Father who is good, we can and must live boldly and courageously as the assertive, passionate, loving women we were created to be. Courage is a critical component of our Christian walk. We must be bold in our faith, uncompromising in our values and a light in this dark world". (Traylor Lovvorn)

This week let's look to identify the fear and cowardice that has kept us living safely in our bondage with food. As if in battle, we tend to hunker down in our safe place. When we do this we do not show the courage God has put inside of us. Instead of hunkering down in our "safe place" let us take refuge in God. He is not only our shield and the strength of our salvation, our stronghold, but He is our rock, our fortress and our deliverer. God is our rock in whom we take refuge...our "safe place"! (Psalm 18:2)

Psalm 16:1-2, 7-8: Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. I said to the Lord, "you are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing." I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Think of the areas where you have been passive and unassertive with your decisions when eating. What would you be doing with your life if you knew you couldn't fail at this new way of thinking with a hunger song where we worship God, rather than run to and worship food?

I know only too well this is a tough journey. We make it tougher when we try to do it ourselves and with secular thinking and diets. But I am finding that when I turn to God on this journey and trade that yoke of slavery for the yoke of Jesus (even if just for a moment) His yoke is easier as He promises us.

This journey we are on will bring up things we have stuffed down deep. Where we have lost all hope and accept where we are as "failures". We know that is a lie. But we still keep believing it in our brokenness and fear. So I say, let us cast that lie down beneath our feet. Let us beleive that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18) Let us rejoice in His truth and know that He is a God of healing and will heal our pain and hurt that has kept us in slavery to food. Then you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free. (John 8:32)

Dr. Phil who is the epitome of talking straight says: "You cannot change what you do not acknowledge". We must acknowledge what is holding us back and eradicate it from our thoughts and belief system.

We must stand in courage and boldly tell Satan he is a liar and tell him we will no longer believe his lies! We will ask the Lord to expose the fear in our lives so that we can eradicate it and cast it down beneath our feet!

Stand strong my sisters. We are on fire in this journey! We are Eden's Freedom Sisters! We don't need "no stinkin' apple" from that tree! We are the "apple" of God's eye!

Our Prayer Today

"God, many times I have failed to act courageously when given the chance. Please forgive me and expose the fear in my life. Help me to boldly live the life You have for me. Your word says that you have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with your joy in your presence. I stand on that promise Lord and claim it as mine. I will fear only You Lord for those who fear You lack nothing. I will stand strong and boldly confess You are Lord of my Life. I am victorious in you Lord! In Jesus' name, Amen."