By Dr. Laurette Willis, Director of PraiseMoves, LLC
Adapted from BASIC Steps to Godly Fitness by Laurette Willis, Harvest House Publishers
Most of us are accustomed to thanking God for our meal before we start eating. What I propose is encircling our dining experience with praise.
In Isaiah 55:2 the Lord says, “Listen carefully to Me and eat what is good, and let your soul be satisfied with abundance.”
Do you see the three parts of that scripture?
1. Listen carefully to Me
2. Eat what is good
3. Let your soul be satisfied with abundance
As Paul wrote, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
While we know that scripture is “spiritually discerned” and has great significance for our spiritual lives, it is also immensely practical and relevant to our everyday lives.
As we grow in our walk with the Lord, we realize that He is genuinely interested in everything that concerns us—even what we eat. By being willing to discipline our flesh, we become more sensitive to His leading.
Out of the Blue…
Have you ever had an idea come to you “out of the blue?” That’s how this idea came to me. You know when something is so good, you can’t possibly take credit for it? That’s how I feel about this. Not long ago I was Prayer Journaling. That involves writing prayers to God and recording what you believe He is telling you in the Scriptures and in your heart.
I wrote: “Father, how can I best reach and maintain the healthy ideal weight and size for me?” The idea, or revelation, that occurred to me was so complete and made so much sense. I must have stopped and stared for a full minute in wide-eyed wonder.
The Lord led me to Isaiah 55:2 and this plan:
Give the Lord a portion of your food every day. How?
Substitute a portion of what you would ordinarily eat and give it to the Lord. Since you can’t physically give that food to the Lord, what do you substitute it with?
An offering of Praise…
Praise and thanksgiving. Your portion is what you eat. The portion you give to the Lord is your offering of praise and thanksgiving. The physical food you leave on the plate serves as a symbol of the sacrifice of praise you will be offering Him from your heart.
After all, praise is called the “fruit of our lips!”
Do you know how “full” you feel when you completely throw yourself into praise and worship? Or if that’s not your style, recall a time when you were so tremendously thankful for an answered prayer or the Lord’s intervention at the exact moment you needed Him most that you thought you’d burst. That’s what I mean.
I used to eat way past the point of satisfying my physical hunger to fill a void of a different kind. Have you? If you will eat slowly enough to be sensitive to when your stomach is satisfied, you will recognize when to stop eating—even if there’s still food on your plate.
Put your fork down and if you’re alone, start praising the Lord. Thank Him for who He is in your life. Worship Him for His amazing attributes and His love for you. It will be a time of sweet communion between the two of you. After all, He is the “bread of life” that truly satisfies. You may be amazed at how quickly you feel satisfied.
If you are with the family or out to dinner at a restaurant, when you sense that you have had an “elegant sufficiency,” put your fork down and silently praise and worship the Lord. Thank Him in your heart.
You don’t have to be flaky about it.
No need to be rude or hyper-spiritual and shut everyone else out because “I’m communing with God.” Hoo-wee, what a witness!
Instead, why not tell those at the table something wonderful the Lord has done for you or someone you know?
In the Psalms, David often spoke of telling others about the Lord’s marvelous works. That’s praising Him! No one has to know what you’re doing if you don’t want them to know.
It’s a great opportunity to tell your children why you love and trust in the Lord. Share an experience of what God did for you or someone in your family or someone in the Bible. You might begin by saying, “I was thinking about how much the Lord loves us.”
You’ll be giving glory to God and “satisfying your soul with abundance” at the same time.
1. Listen carefully to Me
2. Eat what is good
3. Let your soul be satisfied with abundance
(Adapted from BASIC Steps to Godly Fitness by Laurette Willis, Harvest House Publishers).
Good word! Thanks for sharing 🙂
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