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Health Devotional
Is It Time to Open the Door?
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Rev. 3:20.
Whatever am I doing here? I thought to myself as I prepared to spend my eight-week summer vacation at Uchee Pines Institute. My life had spun out of balance—stressed to the max by working two jobs, eating on the run (empty calories, of course), impulsive snacking, working late at night, and taking no time for my Lord. My blood sugar, triglycerides, and cholesterol were elevated, and to top those off, I was anemic! "I know, Lord, You led me here because You have something in store for my life. But what?"
What was in store for me during that next eight weeks was anything but a vacation! I found myself on a schedule—a balanced schedule. I was up at 6:00 for a personal devotional time. Then after a healthy breakfast I worked out on the farm, sweating in the hot summer sun, bush hogging, disking, picking, and selling produce until 1:00, when I went in to eat.
In the afternoon I'd study and listen to tapes about stress and what I needed to do to live a healthier lifestyle. At night I'd read my Bible. All day Sabbath and on several evenings the institute held meetings that allowed the guests to share a testimony of what God was doing for them. Those testimonies meant a lot to me!
And through it all something began to happen. After seven weeks my second blood test showed everything in the normal range. In addition, I had lost 13 pounds by eating all I wanted of the low-fat, high-fiber vegetarian food, and I felt good.
I had learned I was a workaholic, and the answer was to schedule balance into my life: a time for God, for work, and for study. A time to fellowship with others and to sleep. Plus two regular daily "vacation" times to eat.
Most of all, I rediscovered my heavenly Father and found that He had been knocking on my door all the time, but I had been too busy to open it! My door is open now, and it feels so good to sit down and enjoy His presence.
Your heavenly Father is knocking on your door. Isn't it time you let Him in?
Whatever am I doing here? I thought to myself as I prepared to spend my eight-week summer vacation at Uchee Pines Institute. My life had spun out of balance—stressed to the max by working two jobs, eating on the run (empty calories, of course), impulsive snacking, working late at night, and taking no time for my Lord. My blood sugar, triglycerides, and cholesterol were elevated, and to top those off, I was anemic! "I know, Lord, You led me here because You have something in store for my life. But what?"
What was in store for me during that next eight weeks was anything but a vacation! I found myself on a schedule—a balanced schedule. I was up at 6:00 for a personal devotional time. Then after a healthy breakfast I worked out on the farm, sweating in the hot summer sun, bush hogging, disking, picking, and selling produce until 1:00, when I went in to eat.
In the afternoon I'd study and listen to tapes about stress and what I needed to do to live a healthier lifestyle. At night I'd read my Bible. All day Sabbath and on several evenings the institute held meetings that allowed the guests to share a testimony of what God was doing for them. Those testimonies meant a lot to me!
And through it all something began to happen. After seven weeks my second blood test showed everything in the normal range. In addition, I had lost 13 pounds by eating all I wanted of the low-fat, high-fiber vegetarian food, and I felt good.
I had learned I was a workaholic, and the answer was to schedule balance into my life: a time for God, for work, and for study. A time to fellowship with others and to sleep. Plus two regular daily "vacation" times to eat.
Most of all, I rediscovered my heavenly Father and found that He had been knocking on my door all the time, but I had been too busy to open it! My door is open now, and it feels so good to sit down and enjoy His presence.
Your heavenly Father is knocking on your door. Isn't it time you let Him in?
Used by permission of Health Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.
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