Return from the Desert

The Lord reaches out, inviting us to return from the desert of overeating. We want to return . . . to stop indulging in eating more than our bodies require. With all our hearts, we long to renew that sweet closeness we once knew with him.

If only we could.

The good news is we can! I promise. What does it take? Let’s take a look at the three stages.

Return to the Lord

Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord. ~ Lamentations 3:40, NIV

I love this gentle invitation in God’s Word. He always has our best interests at heart. In Step Seven, we examined our ways, and we found ones definitely related to gluttony.

How grateful I am that this precious scripture not only invites us to “examine our ways and test them.” It also urges us to “return to the Lord.” Return from the desert and once again honor him with our eating

I will bring Israel back to his own pasture and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan; his appetite will be satisfied. ~ Jeremiah 50:19, NIV

Try personalizing that verse by putting your name in place of the word Israel. As in, “But I will bring [your name] back to (his/her) own pasture.” Pastures are eating places. In this case, I saw the word pasture as representing eating according to God’s will. Put together I saw God bringing me—and you—back to God-honoring eating.

In Israel, Carmel and Bashan are rich grazing places. This instantly made me think of the Word of God, where we find an amazing feast for our souls.

Yet did you notice the scripture doesn’t stop there? It promises that our “appetite will be satisfied.” This includes both physical and spiritual. Ours when we choose to return from the desert of eating more than our bodies need.

They will return . . . and remove all . . . detestable idols. I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them. Ezekiel 11:18-19, NIV

When I read these verses, the words undivided heart arrested my attention. An undivided heart that loves and worships God alone. How I wanted that. Do you?

But first we must renounce the detestable belly idol that we’ve been serving through the sin of gluttony. Once we do, God will not only give us undivided hearts, he will put a new spirit of obedience in us. How beautiful.

I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you. ~ Isaiah 44:22, NIV

It’s no secret that Jesus shed his precious life’s blood to save us from the penalty we deserve for our sins. And because they are fully paid for, God has every right to sweep away our overeating offenses and make our sins of gluttony vanish. We no longer have to look back on past sins, only forward in our renewed walk with him. Though we first have to repent.

Repent and Renounce

 He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy. Proverbs 28:13, NIV

Once we’re overweight, our sin is no secret. But what about the times we quickly hide a bag of chips or other goodie when someone concerned about our weight is about to enter the room? Or when we request a to-go box at the restaurant to keep from looking like a big eater, then gobble up the food as soon as we get home?

No doubt about it, we’re good at coming up with all sorts of ways to conceal our eating more than we need, but none of them helps us prosper. None enables us to lose those excess pounds or gives us peace of mind and heart.

The good news is God sees our distress and holds out hope. He invites us to confess our sin—admit the wrong we’re doing. But repentance requires an additional step–renounce our wrong-doing. Take steps to stop doing it. When we do, God says we “will find mercy.” We’ll receive forgiveness and, by the grace of God, become able to return to honoring him with our eating.

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret. 2 Corinthians 7:10, NIV

Godly sorrow is a whole lot more than, “I wish I hadn’t done that.” It includes a deep desire to change. In this case, the change includes hating gluttony and longing to honor God with our eating. This brings us into true repentance and “leaves no regret.”

I love the no regret part. Mostly because I’m good at beating myself up over past mistakes. Of remembering them, wishing I hadn’t done them, and berating myself. Yet once confessed and forgiven, God doesn’t remember our sins.

Shouldn’t we follow his example? Shouldn’t we graciously receive his gift of no regret and live in that freedom? I intend to give it a try. How about you?

Renew Your Commitment

Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old. Lamentations 5:21, NIV

Thank you, Lord, for this prayer directly from your heart and recorded in your Word. You desire to restore us. You long for us to return to honoring you with our eating. You want to renew our days of delighting to eat only according to your will.

But first, we have to say yes to your invitation to renew our commitment and return to eating to honor you. To return from the desert and live in obedience to you as we once did.

 Live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires . . . be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 1 Peter 1:14-15, NLT

Slipping back into our old ways of eating to satisfy ourselves rather than honor the Lord is what got us into this troubling fix. But here in God’s Word, he tells us how to remedy that problem. Live in obedience to his Holy Spirit. Be holy—completely dedicated–to him, not food. That he actually chose us to be holy is to me mind-boggling. But because he says it’s true, I believe him. He never tells a lie.

Thank you, Lord, for revealing how to renew our obedient walk with you. For encouraging us to live wholly dedicated to you, even in our eating. For loving us so much that it’s never too late to return from the desert of eating more than our bodies need. For strengthening us in our weakness to do your good will.

Next

With this post related to Step Seven, we’ve come to the end of the Diet No More series. I hope you found this series helpful, that it blessed and encouraged you. I know our traveling this road together has helped me. For that I thank you and pray all God’s best to you.

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