Getting Ready...

Today has been a good day. I haven't worked out and that is because I had Bible study this morning and then I had to go to work and I am working late tonight. Bible Study this morning was so good. We are watching sermons taught by John Piper. (I highly recommend his books.) He was talking about having joy in the Lord. He asked the question: "What is your default activity when there are no pressures on you?" Things like watching tv, gardening, sewing, reading, eating etc. Do we find more joy in doing those those things than we do in the Lord? This was a very convicting question for me. Those things might satisfy us for a moment, but they in no way give the joy and satisfaction that the Lord does. So I was thinking about my issue with food. Do I delight more in eating sweets than I do in the Lord. He has said that self-indulgence is wrong. So I guess the answer for me is Yes, sometimes I do delight in food more than in the Lord. I am very saddened by this fact. I feel awful that I would behave like that. I am so thankful though that the Holy Spirit has brought this to my attention and convicted my spirit. Now that it has been brought into my full view and attention my next responsibilty is to do something about it. For me not to would also be disobedience on my part. Today has been a good day because instead of looking to food to give me happiness I have turned to the Lord instead. My prayer everyday is that I will fight to have joy in the Lord!

Here are some books by John Piper:

"Strengthen your relationship with God simply by enjoying him! Now revised and expanded, Piper's classic reveals how delighting in God can motivate us to glorify him through worship, stewardship, loving our neighbor, rejoicing in suffering, and other "duties." Discover how to lay a biblical foundation for a life of celebration by truly desiring the Lord!"



"Is your soul so stuffed with worldly desires that you have little room left for God? Piper invites you to turn from the dulling effects of materialism, and sharpen your appetite for God through prayer and fasting. His exploration of fasting will help you understand how this ancient biblical practice can nourish your spiritual life and satisfy your hunger for God. "



"To see God is to be changed by Him. The weight of glory is a happy burden. Thus God is the happiest Being in the universe. To know Him in His pleasures is to see Him as He is - and to have a fresh encounter with His transforming presence. If you are hungry for this deep delight, consider the gladness of His great heart. The things that make God glad are the measure of His greatness. Christ and the cross. Choosing His people and bruising His Son. Creating the world and revealing His worth. The gladness of His people in the greatness of His glory. "


"Most people slip by in life without a passion for God, spending their lives on trivial diversions, living for comfort and pleasure, and perhaps trying to avoid sin. This book will warn you not to get caught up in a life that counts for nothing. It will challenge you to live and die boasting in the cross of Christ and making the glory of God your singular passion. If you believe that to live is Christ and to die is gain, read this book, learn to live for Christ, and don't waste your life!"

You can also visit his website at www.desiringgod.org