Daily Hope Devotional

“Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23 NASB) Changing your health habits is like driving a speedboat on a lake with your automatic pilot set to go east. If you want to reverse course, you could try to physically force the wheel in the opposite direction, but you’d likely get tired, let go, and the boat would drift back. But there’s a better option: Change your autopilot. The same is true with your health habits. To make a lasting change, you must change how you think. Behind everything you do — even your unhealthy habits — is a thought that keeps you from getting healthy. Instead, the Bible says you should “have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). God wants you to learn to think like Jesus. How do you do that? You meditate on God’s Word and you ask, “Lord, how would Jesus think about this?” The more you fill your mind with the Word of God, the easier that’s going to be. “Watch over your heart with all ...

“You made my whole being; You formed me in my mother’s body. I praise You because You made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What You have done is wonderful. I know this very well.” (Psalm 139:13-14 NCV) God made you in an amazing and wonderful way! Psalm 139:13-14 says, “You made my whole being; You formed me in my mother’s body. I praise You because You made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What You have done is wonderful. I know this very well” (NCV). God sees you as a work of art. He does not look at you critically but with deep love. Our bodies are His workmanship. Knowing that truth, what is the right attitude toward your body? Don't reject it, and don't neglect it. Keeping your body in shape is a spiritual discipline. God created your body, Jesus died for it, the Holy Spirit lives in it, your body is connected to Christ, and it’s going to be resurrected one day. One day God will hold you accountable for how you managed your body. But He doesn’t leave you...

“God gives rest to His loved ones.” (Psalm 127:2b NLT) The Bible says, “God gives rest to His loved ones” (Psalm 127:2b NLT). When you sleep, your heavenly Father watches over you in love. Sleep is God’s gift; to accept that gift is an act of trust. He restores your body and energy through sleep. One of the hidden triggers to over-eating is lack of rest. When we’re overtired, we often try to boost our energy with caffeine or sugar or carbs, which ultimately leaves us more tired than before. Trusting God enough to sleep builds your faith. Why does sleep require trust? Because we tend to overload our schedules and think that we don’t have time to get the proper amount of sleep. Jesus relaxed, and He never felt guilty about it. Even God took a day off after Creation. Who are we to think we’re too busy to get the proper rest? Talk It Over - How might giving yourself the gift of a good night’s sleep help you meet your Daniel Plan goals?  - Matthew 11:28-29 says, “Come to...

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:1-2 NIV) As you work to become Daniel Strong, stress will undoubtedly try to pull you away from your goals. The problems of everyday life often tempt us to make unhealthy choices out of convenience or as a temporary fix for handling stress. But the truth is, problems will follow you the rest of your life. If you’re waiting to deal with stress until you make it to a new stage in your life, you’ll be waiting a long time! Colossians 3:1-2 says, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (NIV). Stress is a choice. We get stressed out when we choose to focus on our own limited resources instead of focusing on the unlimited resources available ...

“Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise.” (Ephesians 5:15 NIV) The Bible says, “Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise” (Ephesians 5:15 NIV). One of the things you’re learning in your efforts to become Daniel Strong is that real change requires you to face the truth. Behind every self-defeating behavior is a lie we believe, such as, “I can trust any food that is labeled ‘healthy,’ ‘all natural,’ ‘diet,’ or ‘fat free.’” Changing eating habits begins with developing discernment. If a food is labeled “healthy” but has 20 ingredients, 19 of which you can’t pronounce, that label is lying. Educate yourself about what is truly healthful food, like fresh vegetables, lean meat, nuts, and fruit. While it may seem confusing at first, it is really quite simple to eat healthy. Once you learn to recognize lying labels, you’ll feel empowered to make the best choices for your body. God wants you to “use your head — and heart! — to discern...

“‘Test us for ten days,’ he said. ‘Give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare us with the young men who are eating the food of the royal court, and base your decision on how we look.’ [The guard] agreed to let them try it for ten days. When the time was up, they looked healthier and stronger than all those who had been eating the royal food.” (Daniel 1:12-15 TEV) When Daniel refused to become unclean by eating the food of King Nebuchadnezzar’s court, he made a deal with the guard: “‘Test us for ten days,’ he said. ‘Give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare us with the young men who are eating the food of the royal court, and base your decision on how we look.’ [The guard] agreed to let them try it for ten days. When the time was up, they looked healthier and stronger than all those who had been eating the royal food” (Daniel 1:12-15 TEV). Daniel didn’t just eat haphazardly, accepting whatever was placed in front of him. He was intentional about wh...

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:2 NIV)                                                                                                         Many of us believe we can multi-task without limits. However our brain isn’t a computer; it can’t run different programs simultaneously. When we think we are “multi-tasking,” we are actually switching rapidly between tasks. Our attention is divided. That’s why people crash their cars when they try to text and drive. And it’s why people crash in their journey to get healthy. Getting healthy the right way requires a relentless focus on God and His plan for healthy living. You must focus on what’s most important and not allow yourself to get distract...