Chasing Freedom

Anthem

By October 2, 2014No Comments

bible-verse-575231-mRecently, I heard Christian author, speaker and founder of the A1 Campaign, Christine Caine share an intimate story of how she prayed for healing. She had been to the doctor and received a bad report about some nodules on her throat. Given that her entire ministry is built around her ability to communicate using her voice, she was terrified. As she confessed her nervousness in the podcast, she told how God led her to pray healing and victory over her diagnosis using Scripture.

I was stunned by how many verses seemed to speak to exactly her situation. One Bible verse connected to another and to another, creating almost a personal anthem of hope for her. Her words challenged me to find the theme of my own hope in Scripture. I began to search the Bible for verses that related to food and body image and how God intends for me to relate to my body in this physical world. Again, I was amazed at how much God seemed to have to say to just me about my personal issue.

Following Christine’s example, I wrote my own song of praise to God; an anthem of hope for me to bolster my faith when ED seems too loud:

Jesus told me I don’t have to worry about what I eat or drink because He knows I need these things (Matt. 6:25-34). Not only does God know my needs, but from the beginning of time, He has been providing for all of His creation (Jeremiah 33:2, Psalm 136:25, Psalm 81:10). God doesn’t merely provide food for sustenance, but He gives it for my joy and He wants me to have pleasure in His good gifts of food and drink (Psalm 104:15).

God has given me this body specifically, He took special care and consideration when He made me (Psalm 139). Even so, He didn’t make me for myself or to spend my whole life pursuing my own goals of beauty and perfection—He said that I am not my own but His (1 Corinthians 16:9). He wants my body, it is my honor to give it Him for His purposes (Romans 12:1). God not only provides food for me and created my body, but He actually specifically teaches me how to care for it and says that all of my physical exercise, discipline and pursuit of physical perfection is of little value (1 Timothy 4:7-9).

Above all, I can trust what God says in His Word about my body and food and all of life because He alone knows and teaches me what is best for me.

“Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.’” Is. 48:17

RELATED:

Broken Chains and Musical Altars, by Abby Kelly

Addiction and Grace, book by Gerald G May, MD

The Power of Scripture, video resource