WHO'S IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT?

My final day of the Daniel Fast was yesterday. As I had my first cup of coffee in three weeks and read my bible, it was impressed upon me the analogy of the Holy Spirit being in the driver’s seat and we who are now believers sit in the passenger seat. Those who are still controlled by the sinful nature and do not have faith in Jesus are still driving their cars and they will only lead themselves to destruction by driving over a cliff or head on into another car. We who have chosen to believe in Jesus now sit in the passenger seat but our sinful nature that is connected the our bodies is still at war and will do what it can to persuade us to take our focus off looking out the front window which is where the Holy Spirit is leading us to, to looking out the side window at things on the side of the road. We see signs that are from the evil one that may say food and gas next exit and we are tempted to tell the Holy Spirit take this exit and may even go as far as grabbing the steering wheel to pull us off onto the exit. We are trying to control and guide ourselves.  We are trying to satisfy our needs and wants and we are not remembering that God will take care of all our needs, will bless us and is leading us to Himself. During this Daniel Fast, I realized I had put the Holy Spirit in total control of my eating. Those road signs that advertised homemade pie or frozen yogurt bar up ahead were not in control. I fully gave control and faith to the Holy Spirit and my needs were met. I discovered the sweet treat that God created in dates, I realized that meat is a yummy gift from God but it is not to be worshipped and discovered that caffeine is a blessing from God but again not to be worshipped. So as we step into our cars figuratively each day, we need to stop and say out loud to the Holy Spirit, take the wheel and lead me in this day that I may produce good fruits and glorify God in all I do and say. You may have to stop and tell the Holy Spirit this throughout your day to remind yourself that you are putting your faith in Him to guide you and keeping your focus out the front window and on the road ahead. It reminds me of that first year with my husband and having him drive. I was critical about how he drove and his ability to get us where we needed to go. I was constantly saying something or gritting my teeth and speaking those controlling thoughts in my mind but the trust in him was built up enough that I was able to let go of the controlling thoughts and be at peace knowing he was getting us safely to where we needed to go. Our trust in the Holy Spirit can be built up too through time spent in the Word of God, in prayer and worship. We must feed our spirits with spiritual food in order for us to be able to put a “stopping hand” to the evil one and looking ahead to the glory we will have in meeting Jesus in our final home that he is preparing for us. Imagine it! Him being a carpenter, he is designing the home I will live in specifically for me. A home with high ceilings, lots of light and views out the windows of mountains, beaches, sunrises, freshly fallen snow. A home with a kitchen that never needs cleaning and is always fully stocked with everything you need to cook up a feast for the family coming for dinner with Jesus at the head of the table. Imagine it. Believe it. Let the thought of your final home and hope guide your days here.

Romans 8:1-4 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

Quinoa cereal recipe

Cup cooked quinoa

2 tablespoons Date Honey (made by covering pitted dates with water in a saucepan and simmering pitted dates for 45 min. Blend and store)

1 tablespoon Nikki's Chocolate Hazelnut Coconut Butter (found on Amazon)

Combine all ingredients. Heat in microwave for 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup almond milk and enjoy.

 

EATING WITH FAITH

I am starting my third week of the Daniel Fast. In a nutshell, the Daniel Fast is based on Daniel in the book of Isaiah who refuses to eat the spread of food the king provides but faithfully, stays committed to eating what God wants him to eat. It doesn’t specifically say what these foods are or what he was avoiding but interpretations of it say it is the sweets and meats. Ouch.  The guidelines I am using are from the book The Daniel Fast by Kristen Feola.

In my two weeks thus far, I have found that meat although yummy is set apart from other foods and put on a pedestal. Meat eaters worship their meat. The main component of every meal is the meat but I have found that I am sustained without meat and my feelings towards it are becoming more realistic. It is a food God provides but it should not be worshipped.

The sweet part has been easier only because of my Paleo eating which I think really helped prepare me for this fasting. I have discovered dates and making date honey from one of the many recipes in the book. My favorite breakfast smoothie is with dark chocolate hazelnut coconut butter, banana, whey protein, date honey, almond milk and ice. Yum.

Many people will stray from their diet New Year’s resolutions because of all the temptations, lack of total commitment and lack of faith. Our bodies are at war with our souls. Our bodies want the meat, the sweets, the caffeine, the bottle of wine but our soul which is part of our mind is wanting to do well and not eat the chocolate bar or gorge on a prime rib dinner. It is a constant battle that we cannot win on our own. Like the United States of America in the war with Britain for her independence, they needed help. God brought them the help they needed through the French.  We too need the help of the Holy Spirit to help us overcome sin and the evil that wants to control us through our bodies and our minds. Faith is the key to overcoming and conquering the worshipping of our food we eat and so much more.

If you have started a new way of eating and want it to succeed, your faith is the key factor in this success.

Romans 7:22-23 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law, but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Date Honey recipe:

6-8 Medjook dates, pitted

1 cup water

Slice and take out pits, put dates into saucepan and combine with water. The water should cover the top of them so add more if necessary. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Pour the whole thing into a blender and blend. Store in fridge for up to a week.

Costco has a good deal on them!