The first month I was pleased over my weight loss with the new food plan. However, now I'm stalled out, yo-yoing up and down the same few pounds. It's frustrating, especially since I'm exercising more, not less.
Nevertheless, I've hit a wall or the dreaded plateau, as dieters call it.
I finally prayed about my dilemma, and the Lord graciously gave me a spiritual picture. Simply put, I was standing close to a large, seamless wall in the middle of the road. I was trying to find a way around it, poking around the edges for soft spots, nervously noting the height of the wall—all the while fretting and pacing. The longer I stared at the wall, the more anxiety mounted.
This wall represents the insurmountable obstacle in my mind. It's the plateau I'm currently on with my diet and exercise plan. It's the last part of the weight I need to lose, and I don't know what else to do. Gradually, the fear that I can't do it—that I'll regain what I've lost—overtakes me to the point of defeat. It has happened every time so far.
But I've been given a tremendous gift. I have a visual of how I was emotionally handling this obstacle. I haven't ever been able to see it before; I was too close. So I asked the Lord, “What do I do about the wall?”
Whenever we ask for wisdom, God promises never to fuss. His delight is to bestow it freely and as often as we have need. In essence, He spoke to my spirit and said, "This is when you kneel and pray. I'll show you what to do next."
Do you have a wall—an insurmountable obstacle you can't seem to get around? We have a God who is happy to show us how to knock our walls down. With His help, we can look forward to the day the walls disappear.
Be patient with the process. The walls will fall and you will have victory—especially in that one area of life where you never thought it could happen.
(Photo courtesy of morguefile and TrisMarie.)
(For more devotions, visit us at www.christiandevotions.us.)
Mary Pat Johns is currently a Bible teacher at Faith Family, a mega-church in Victoria, Texas. Her teaching venues include assignments for ladies’ Bible study and assisting her husband with their weekly Understanding God class. She also serves as an instructor for Destiny Bible Institute. A mother and grandmother, she lives with her husband and their miniature dachshund Ike, who runs the show.