God as “Whisperer”–Lessons Learned Through His Provision

God as “Whisperer”–Lessons Learned Through His Provision

Cesar Milan's Show on Net Flix

Cesar Milan’s Show on Net Flix

God often uses my animals to teach me lessons about how he relates to me. I have joked for some time that the reason I have had so many animals (chinchillas, dogs, one cat, horses) is because I need so many living illustrations to learn what most people might absorb just from reading a bible verse or two! Slow on the uptake. That’s me. 🙂

I moved away from home when I was 19, some 33 years ago now. I wasted no time in getting the BIG dogs of my dreams. Never having had big dogs and always wanting some :-), a Golden Retriever named Joshua and a German Shepherd named Morgan became my roommates, constant companions, and parental replacements. (My parents replaced me with a Llasa Apso.)

Joshua’s nature was—of all things—to retrieve. 🙂 That is all there was to it. When he was eager to please, he seemed possessed by a force that drove him to do the unthinkable–ANYTHING to retrieve something for the human who was the object of his devotion—usually me. 🙂

If no ball or stick was readily found, dirty laundry, garbage, blankets pulled off the bed, small children, all were viable alternatives! He just HAD to bring something to show his version of doggie devotion and love. His demonstrations were far from “perfect” (and were quite irritating at times, to be honest), but as his “master,” I recognized the heart behind it. After cleaning up whatever mess he made on his way to retrieving whatever it was, I loved on him, knowing that it was his nature to retrieve. I felt compassion for him, and appreciated even his imperfect obedience.

I still remember when God showed me that He does likewise with me. My earnestness to please him, no matter how misguided or “imperfect,” brings a smile to his face. He, too, cleans up my messes and has compassion on my crude attempts to please him.

Recently, a friend of mine shared about an episode of “The Very Best of Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan” she watched on Net Flix.

If you want to see the episode, check out Collection 1: Episode 7, Power of the Pack, about 32:35 minutes into the episode.

In it, Cesar says:

“Food to me is part of affection.”

I wonder if this accurately captures how God feels about feeding us, His children? Does he, perhaps, love us with food? Many of us love others with food, but I wonder if God’s expression of his love and concern is demonstrated in part by his perfect provision of food for us, his children.

“The food also we have to give to the pack when the mind is calm, submissive, which means they have to be in a very patient state of mind for them to receive this food.”

Oh! I wonder how long my God would have to wait to feed me if he waited as Cesar does…for my mind to be calm, submissive, and patient. I wonder sometimes, if that is why I don’t land on a “0” as soon as I wish I would. Maybe God, in his divine sovereignty, is waiting for my mind to be calm, submissive, and patient.

“At the same time, when I’m preparing the food, I’m happy doing it.”

Have you (or I) considered that God is happy providing the next meal that I will have the joy of eating when I am physically hungry? What a wonderful thought!

“So, I am sharing my love preparing the food for my boys, who work already with me and I now am going to satisfy the appetite.”

If a fallible human man is moved to show love for his pets by satisfying their hunger, then I know that my God has an even better, more tender, more perfect heart of love for me—one that intends to satisfy my appetites—in the very way they need satisfying.

The next scene in this episode, challenged me a bit. Cesar had his hands in the canned dog food and was squishing it together with the dry kibble. (Can I just say “ewwwww….”???) As he was doing this, he said:

“I like to use my hand—just because I feel more close to them. You know, my scent is delivered in the food, so they get to smell me in the meal too…”

How tender a love this is! What does our God do just to feel more close to us, his children? I wonder if our God wants each meal to be an opportunity for us to experience His “scent” delivered to us as well…that we might “smell” him in His provision. Cesar is willing to have his hands made a mess of in order to do this. I love the reason he gives for this…

“I want to be very intimate with them. And I want to be part of every single thing that they do. I really want to be everything they have… “

Does God say this about us to the host of heaven?  That he wants to be very intimate with us? That he wants to be part of every single thing that we do? That he wants to be everything we have? The psalmist seems to think so as he responds to God’s overtures with the following:

Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
– Psalm 73:23-26 (ESV)

I think my God is a “Heidi Whisperer,” calming me, changing me, moving me from frenetic, undisciplined behavior, to being more calm, peaceful, settled in my own skin. I wish I wasn’t such a hard study. If Cesar can change a dog in just two weeks, well…oh yeah…I forgot. I am “slow on the uptake.” Verrrrrrry slow!

How About You?

Have you ever considered that God wants to use your struggle with food, hunger and satisfied signals, to be very intimate with you? How does it strike you to consider that he may want you to think of him as everything you have? Do you allow him to “deliver His scent” to you in the food He provides in the perfect time?

Is It Really Sin?

Is It Really Sin?

Image Source: iStockPhoto

Image Source: iStockPhoto

Is overeating really sin?  Is that one extra bite rebellion against the Lord?

I really struggled with those questions.  It was one of the things in the Thin Within material that I had a hard time grasping.  To be honest, over the years, when I would get to about Day 7 in the Thin Within book, I wouldn’t be able to push through any further.  I really didn’t think I needed God’s forgiveness or grace when I took that one extra bite or overate.   I would think, “Come on!  It’s just food!  It’s just one extra bite!  What’s the big deal?  Doesn’t God have other things to be concerned about?  Why does this have to be so spiritual?”

And then my eyes were opened.

I had been praying about this and asking the Lord what His truth was about it in my life.  Then one evening, I really wanted to make popcorn to eat during a movie my husband and I were going to watch.  I knew I wasn’t hungry for the popcorn, but I just kept on thinking about it.  Finally, I decided I was going to make popcorn.  As I poured the freshly popped popcorn into a big wooden bowl, I heard the Holy Spirit gently ask me if I would not eat the popcorn since I wasn’t hungry.  And like an annoying fly buzzing around, I flicked that request off.  How could I resist now?  Oh, the delicious scent of hot-buttered popcorn!  And then, as I scooped some popcorn into my smaller bowl, the Holy Spirit asked me again if I would refrain from eating the popcorn.  Flick!  No thank you, I’m going to EAT this popcorn, thank you very much!  So I sat down, began the movie, and about 2/3 of the way through my bowl of popcorn the Holy Spirit asked again, gently, if I would stop eating since I wasn’t hungry.  Obediently, I put the bowl down and didn’t take one more bite.

He was so gentle.  I was so rebellious.  I lusted after that popcorn.  I hardened my heart against the Holy Spirit’s guidance.  I was like that Israelite demanding my way as I puttered around in the wilderness; just give me the leeks and onions!  I didn’t want God’s manna or His provision.  I wanted MY way in MY time!  In essence, I wanted to go back to that slavery.  Instead of deliverance and freedom, I wanted the easy way out.

Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts. Hebrews 4:7b

I don’t want to harden my heart.  I want to love the Lord with all of my heart, mind and soul.  I don’t want to hold anything back.  I have to die to myself, to my fleshly, selfish desires in order to live for Him.

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.  Romans 13:14

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

Matthew 22:37

 

And it was at that moment I realized that I am not honoring the Lord when I take that extra bite knowing I don’t need it or when I overeat.  I was placing food over Him.

This has been a hard truth to swallow.  I would rather not digest it.  I want to be in denial, but I clearly saw my rebellion that day when I hardened my heart.  I chose to fall into temptation—to sin.  Temptations will come, but I had a choice to make.  I chose to follow my flesh instead of following after the Spirit.  God provided a way out of the temptation, but I chose to take the other path.

When we are hungry, we eat.  Food is fuel for our body.  So what happens when we consistently go outside of God’s bounds of eating outside of hunger?  We gain weight, we feel stuffed, we don’t like the way we look or feel, etc.

Why would we need food outside of hunger?  What are we truly “hungry” for when we want to eat when we aren’t physically hungry?

I could replace that “hunger” with food, alcohol, sex, drugs, or any other substance or addiction, but it will never fulfill what I’m truly hungry for.  As Heidi says, only God can fill that God-size hole that needs Him in our heart.

Maybe you are reading this and you might think that this doesn’t make sense for you.  Maybe you feel that it’s legalistic to say one extra bite is sin.  I would encourage you to ask the Lord about this in your own life.  Ask Him to show you the truth about this for you.  Maybe you aren’t at that place in your journey where it’s clear.  Maybe the Lord is working on other areas right now.

Another thing I do is I check the motivation of my heart.  Something I think about often is something that is asked in the book Intuitive Eating: would I deny a bride and groom their bites of wedding cake after the cake cutting if they weren’t truly hungry?  It’s not their motive to indulge.  There have been times after a meal at a friend’s house where I’m not really hungry anymore, but I will eat a little serving of dessert.  I will check in with the Lord and there are times where He says that it’s ok, that my heart is in the right place.  But I really think this is something personal between you and the Lord.  This isn’t an excuse to eat whenever you feel like it.  It’s not to justify eating another bite when you know God is saying it’s time to stop.  You will know because the Holy Spirit will show you.

God is bringing me to a place of wanting to honor Him more and more with eating.  I want to glorify Him in all that I do.  My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.  I don’t want to follow after the flesh.  I don’t want to lust after food.  I don’t want to harden my heart.  I want to follow the Spirit and grow closer to Him.

 

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. Romans 8:5

 

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.  Titus 2:11-12

 If we do choose to purposely overeat, we can ask the Lord to forgive us.

“The surest way to return to the path of God’s provision is by repentance.  As we observe, we identify the truth about our behavior and agree with God that a correction is in order.  We then confess the truth we observe, and identify the faulty thinking and fleshly behaviors.  He further places with us a desire to make the godly correction.  This is repentance, and it results in returning to the path of God’s provision where we are filled with peace, joy, and rest” (Thin Within page 248-249).

And knowing that God has forgiven us as we repent, we can continue on our journey of honoring Him.  There’s no need to beat ourselves up with the club of condemnation.  You don’t have to eat with the attitude of, “Well, I messed up, I guess I will just eat whatever I want, whenever I want the rest of the day.”  This isn’t a diet we’ve gotten off track with or have eaten up all of our daily calories, points, fat grams, carbohydrates, etc.  This is observing that we’ve overeaten, repenting, and then continuing on the path of God’s provision.  And then you just wait until you are hungry again to eat.  I find this so refreshing!

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.  Romans 8:1

There are times I find myself being tempted to eat when I’m not hungry.  I’m learning to ask God for help during those times.  And He is always willing.  We can call upon Him!

 I will love You, O Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.  Psalm 18:1-2

How about you?

Where do you find your thoughts when you think about overeating or one extra bite as sin?  I want to encourage you to ask the Lord what this looks like for you.  Are you eating because you are trying to fulfill a hunger only God can fill?  Do you find yourself lusting after food and eating with a rebellious attitude?  Ask the Lord to show you: He will!  And He won’t just stop there, He will show you how you can turn your eyes from lust to fixing your eyes upon Jesus!

Written by: Christina

Taste of TRUE Goodness

Image Source: iStock Photo

Image Source: iStock Photo
It is more likely for a lion to grow tired and hungry than it is that God will NOT supply me good things! WOW!

Taste and see that the LORD is good;

blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. 

Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.

The lions may grow weak and hungry,

but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

– Psalm 34:8-10   

God is so wonderfully good. I can hide myself in Him. When I fear Him (which just means to have an awesome reverence and respect for Him) I lack nothing I need. What am I really trying to satisfy when I eat when I am not hungry? The mini-powdered sugar donuts are yummy, how many of them do I really need in one sitting? What am I trying to fill up after I am not hungry any more? Is it truly something that mini-powdered sugar donuts can satisfy? I don’t think so and, according to this passage, it is a God sized hole that He alone will fill up.

In Psalm 34: 8, isn’t it interesting that the psalmist used the word, “taste?” At that point when I am looking for something by eating yet more ___(insert tasty morsel of your choosing)_____,  why not stop and taste of Him? I start the day with such good intentions and no wonder! I have been in His Word and His love for me and mine for Him are fresh on my heart and mind. Maybe I need to rekindle that throughout the day by prayer, quick meditation on one of my memory verses, a review of my truth cards, or by opening the bible for a moment. As easily as I can rip open a package of cookies, I can open the bible or breathe up a prayer. I can take refuge in Him.

If I truly revere Him and am in awe of Him, I will seek HIM. Whatever it is I am seeking to fill with food I will find more abundantly and truly with HIM.

Lions don’t often grow weak with hunger…they keep hunting and feasting, yet the psalmist indicates that they may grow weak and hungry…what is the “antidote” for weakness and hunger? Seeking the Lord. Not only will my belly be full and strength return, but I will lack no good thing!

Praise Him!

Lord, today I will taste of You and your goodness. I will take refuge in

You instead of in a bag of Reddenbudders popcorn. I will demonstrate my awe

and respect of you in calling on YOU when I struggle. I know what as I seek

you, I will lack nothing that I need. Thank you, Lord. Amen.

Praying in Faith Part 2…

I was just thinking about what I posted earlier about my son while I was doing horse chores this evening. The Lord spoke to my heart about my final statements in the blog entry. That if I was going to pray that God would do a work in me, I should act like I believe he would…like Daniel did when he made the effort and moved the hay after praying for rain.

I heard the voice of the Spirit whisper to my heart: “But do you *want* to be made whole?”

This surprised me.

I was then reminded of John 5:5-7, which says:

One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.
When Jesus saw him lying there
and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time,
he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

This man had been disabled for THIRTY-EIGHT years! He was there waiting for a way to get well. His presence in that place, his condition…it all seemed to indicate that he, of course, wanted to get well! So, why did Jesus ask him the question?

As I was pondering the way my son had prayed in faith for rain and taken action based on that faith, I considered…he really WANTED the rain. In fact, he wanted it enough that he planned for it, to welcome it. He put effort into receiving the rain. He DID something in preparation for the rain–the answer to his prayers. He anticipated the rain. When he prayed for rain, had Jesus asked him, “Do you want it to rain?” Daniel’s prayer *and* his actions would have indicated “YES! You BET I do!”

What about me? When I pray that God would take away my desire for food beyond what I need…well, do I *want* to get well? Do I *really* **want** the answer to my prayer to be yes? Or is there some way in which I continue to cherish sin in my heart?

Psalm 66:17-19 says:

I cried out to him with my mouth;
his praise was on my tongue.
If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;
but God has surely listened
and heard my voice in prayer.

If I am to be like Daniel when I pray, if I am to believe that God will bring it about, if I am going to act like it is going to happen…what kind of actions will that illicit in my life? Jesus asks me, “Do you want to get well? Do you really want to be free? Or are you comfortable with this ‘issue’ in your life? Does it ‘work’ for you?”

Ouch.

Am I making provision for the flesh? Or am I making provision for Him answering my prayer?

n the New American Standard Bible, Romans 13:14 says this:

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the flesh
in regard to its lusts.

If I think about Daniel, what would it have looked like if he hadn’t believed his prayer for rain would have been answered? He would have left the hay alone, but he might have gotten on sun screen and gone to the lake to go swimming. He would have left my bible out on the back deck instead of bringing it in. He might have even turned on the air conditioning or opened the windows in the house…he would have made provision for anticipating that the Lord wasn’t going to answer his prayer for rain.

Instead, he was convinced…he believed, he asked, he wanted what he asked for enough to DO. Could this be, in part, what James means when he said:

In the same way, faith by itself,
if it is not accompanied by action,
is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds,
and I will show you my faith by what I do.
– James 2:17-18

Daniel’s faith caused him not just to pray, but also to act, to do…a “deed” or two. Not to win God’s “yes,” but to anticipate it!

If I pray in faith for God to forever remove an unhealthy attachment to food in my life, if I anticipate that His answer will be yes, what DEEDS will I DO that show that I anticipate God acting in response to my prayer? Will I make provision for the flesh, expecting that I will never be free from an ungodly attachment…or will I expect not to feel the compulsion to eat to excess any more and choose to act, to DO something(s) that demonstrates to God and to myself that I know God is at work doing a new thing, changing my lusts, passions and desires? Am I making provision, if you will, for His affirmative answer to my prayer? Or am I making provision for my flesh, demonstrating a lack of faith *and* the answer to Jesus’ question “Do you want to be well?” that says, “No…no thanks…not really. Silly me…I didn’t MEAN to ask you to heal me…”

Hmmm….

As I sit here editing this blog entry, I am smiling. God has such a sense of humor. Can you believe it? I actually, literally hear rain outside…the windows are open (my doing…). Maybe I better shut them.