“Whatever was written beforehand is meant to instruct us in how to live. The Scriptures impart to us encouragement and inspiration so that we can live in hope and endure all things” (Rom. 15:4, TPT).

I love this Scripture. God spoke to my heart many years ago, “Teach women today from women of yesterday,” and confirmed this word with Romans 15:4.

I love the testimonies in the Word of God about the women (and men) who have walked before us. Jochebed gives me strength in my heart—a woman living in poverty and slavery who had not forgotten the testimonies of what God had done through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. One woman, Jochebed, set the stage for her son, Moses, to lead her nation out of slavery!

What about the testimony of Eve? She did not value God’s Word. She listened to and allowed Satan to tempt her and lost her relationship with God. When she took a bite of the fruit, it exposed what was in her heart.

The good news is that Eve gave birth to another son, Seth. His name means “to establish.” Eve took courage in giving birth to Seth, for she said, “God has granted me another offspring” (Gen. 4:25, MEV). A great offspring this was, for the ancestry of Jesus Christ was to be traced back to the line of Seth!

Eve’s testimony gives us hope as one who can rise above her transgressions.

The testimonies of those who have walked before us are an invaluable inheritance because in each testimony of what God has done, there is a revelation of His nature and His love for the people who are created in His image.

A revelation of God through a testimony has the power to position us to experience God in what He is doing in the present. As I walked through the grocery store this week and saw the empty shelves, the Holy Spirit began to bring to my mind testimonies I had studied in the Bible.

I remember the widow who was cooking the last meal for herself and her son. Elijah just happened to come along, and he told her to make him a small cake first, then he spoke, “‘The barrel of meal will not run out, nor will the jar of oil empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth'” (1 Kings 17:14b). She stepped out in faith and obedience to the word of the Lord, and her household ate for many days. I am so thankful for this testimony that assures me I am not dependent on man for my resources.

David encouraged himself in the Lord. Study the testimonies in the Word of God and receive a prophetic vision of the goodness and faithfulness of God.

Proverbs 29:18 (TPT) says, “When there is no clear prophetic vision, people quickly wander astray. But when you follow the revelation of the word, heaven’s bliss fills your soul.”

The spirit of prophecy changes the present, creating an atmosphere for the release of God’s supernatural power in your life, creating the miracle you need.

Testimonies carry the spirit of prophecy, leading us into the peace Jesus gave us (see John 14:27). In peace, we can hear His voice and follow Him.

Testimonies in the Word of God reveal to us God’s version of history and give us insights on reality from His perspective, which enable us to live supernaturally as a child of God, living this new creation life.

Long before there was a problem in this earth, God had the answer! Remember, He promised to never leave you or forsake you and that nothing could separate you from His love.

Are you fully persuaded that what He has promised He is also able to perform?

Body image and weight issues are two of the most overwhelming issues a person deals with daily. We receive constant reminders on billboards, radio, TV and in the news about what our body should look like and how we are to act. One day we are to be superwoman—the next day, Suzy Homemaker.

We soon find that we are living in a tug-of-war between the world’s unrealistic standard of beauty and God’s reality for our body. When we buy into the world’s unattainable standard of outward beauty we believe a lie of the enemy. When we believe a lie, we empower the liar.

Buying into the world’s unattainable standard of outward beauty is easy to do in today’s world. As we try to gain acceptance by the world’s standard, we find bondage that leads us to discouragement and depression. We have been caught in the snare of the enemy that our happiness depends on our outward beauty.

Your outward condition reflects a deeper inner turmoil. Captivity does not start on your exterior frame. It began deep within and has worked its destruction from the inside out. It starts with seeds from a word, rejection or a disapproving glance. How can you overcome the bondage caused by deep wounds to your heart?

The first step is to understand who you really are. As a child of God there are multiple dimensions of you: You are a spirit, you have a soul and you live in a body (see 1 Thes. 5:23). Your physical body, which you see in a mirror, is the image reflected and projected to others. It is the outer shell that houses the real you, your spirit. Your body can be broken, scarred, wounded, healed and strengthened.

Your soul—your mind, will and emotions is the place of expression of your personality. It houses your thoughts, hopes, dreams and fears. Your will draws information from your mind in making decisions about your body.

The third dimension is your spirit, which is often described as your heart. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). This Scripture gives a divine order to our life. Our spirit (heart) should direct our soul and mind, which will guide our physical body. As we keep this divine order—spirit, soul and body—our spirit, which is instantly born again when we receive Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior, will direct our soul and body.

The world is full of information—good and bad. We must discern what is good for us and what is bad. The information from the world tells us the need for change. But only the Word of God can bring transformation to our soul and body.

You are unique, created in the image of God for a purpose. When I accepted my body as He created me, quit comparing myself with others, forgave myself for abusing my body and accepted my responsibility in taking care of my body, change started deep within.

You are so much more than a body. Remember, God looks on the heart. The world judges you by body image. You are not of this world! I thank God every day for my health. I have been blessed even as an overweight person. But I was coming to a point that travel was much harder, and I grew weary in doing good. Like Martha, I had become distracted with busy work for the kingdom and lost the focus of my life, Jesus.

It is impossible to reach the world’s unrealistic standard; they have planned it that way. God leads by the desire of your heart. That desire comes as you abide in His Word (John 15:7). God gave me a battle plan that worked from the inside out and took 88 pounds from my body. It did not happen overnight; it’s a lifetime walk. We are learning daily to walk in the Spirit so we will not fulfill the desire of the flesh (see Gal. 5:16).

Weight loss is a byproduct of obedience. As we learn the ways of the kingdom of God, we don’t have to seek success; it will follow us as we follow Him. Ask the Lord to instill desire in you that motivates you in the perspective of eternity, not just day to day. Live for eternity, die to your flesh and represent Him to the best of your ability.

My testimony and walk in this journey of freedom is in my book, Why Diets Don’t Work—Food Is Not the Problem and a workbook designed for individual or group study.  

Joyce Tilney is the founder of Women of God Ministries, teaching women today from women of yesterday. She is an author and a conference speaker. Her books are available on amazon.com.