Man shall not live on bread alone. Mmm...bread.
For me, the new year doesn't really start until school is back in sesson. I know the calendar has said 2011 since Saturday, but I didn't throw any confetti til today. Okay, so I didn't throw confetti, but you get my point.
Anyway, I have been working toward my resolutions. Weight Watchers is going well, I guess. I'm making some changes. I've not really worked on my memory verse yet this week, so now is a good time to try.
It is Matthew 4:4. I know this verse, sort of. "Jesus answered, 'It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." One of the techniques for learning the verses is to write it down and look at it often. I've done that. Another suggestion is to read it in context and meditate on its meaning. That's a big thing for me as a teacher. I hate when I give vocabulary words and kids memorize the definitions but don't know how to apply them in context. So, that's my goal today.
Matthew 4 is the story of Jesus' time in the wilderness. Forty days of fasting, praying, and temptation. He followed the Spirit into the wilderness. He ate NOTHING for six whole weeks. I can't go six whole minutes without thinking about food, so that amazes me. I've dabbled in fasting, have done brief ones, but can't imagine 40 days. That's 120 meals and 80 or more snacks. Woah.
When I'm tempted to "cheat" on my diet (which is just about all the time), I've tried to learn some strategies to help me. I distract myself. I chew gum. I get a drink of water. I eat a piece of fruit. I give in and have just a tiny bite of whatever it is I'm thinking about.
Not Jesus. When the tempter tried to get him to eat, he quoted scripture to him.
Maybe I've been lead to this particular memory verse because it is so fitting to this season of my life. I'm struggling with overcoming temptation that comes from food. I'll put my little index card with this verse on it right on my desk and look at it every time I think about eating the Reese Cup that is hidden deep in my desk drawer. Even better, I'll give away the candy bar as a prize to a kid today so that I stop thinking about it!
Anyway, I have been working toward my resolutions. Weight Watchers is going well, I guess. I'm making some changes. I've not really worked on my memory verse yet this week, so now is a good time to try.
It is Matthew 4:4. I know this verse, sort of. "Jesus answered, 'It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." One of the techniques for learning the verses is to write it down and look at it often. I've done that. Another suggestion is to read it in context and meditate on its meaning. That's a big thing for me as a teacher. I hate when I give vocabulary words and kids memorize the definitions but don't know how to apply them in context. So, that's my goal today.
Matthew 4 is the story of Jesus' time in the wilderness. Forty days of fasting, praying, and temptation. He followed the Spirit into the wilderness. He ate NOTHING for six whole weeks. I can't go six whole minutes without thinking about food, so that amazes me. I've dabbled in fasting, have done brief ones, but can't imagine 40 days. That's 120 meals and 80 or more snacks. Woah.
When I'm tempted to "cheat" on my diet (which is just about all the time), I've tried to learn some strategies to help me. I distract myself. I chew gum. I get a drink of water. I eat a piece of fruit. I give in and have just a tiny bite of whatever it is I'm thinking about.
Not Jesus. When the tempter tried to get him to eat, he quoted scripture to him.
Maybe I've been lead to this particular memory verse because it is so fitting to this season of my life. I'm struggling with overcoming temptation that comes from food. I'll put my little index card with this verse on it right on my desk and look at it every time I think about eating the Reese Cup that is hidden deep in my desk drawer. Even better, I'll give away the candy bar as a prize to a kid today so that I stop thinking about it!
Comments