We have rain barrels at our home that we use to water our flowers in the spring and summer. Two February’s ago, one froze solid–cracking right down the middle. (It’s warm enough here that winterizing things is usually unnecessary).
This past fall, I took no chances. Both barrels were fully drained back in November–before the first frost. Imagine my surprise when I tried to move one of them the other day, and it wouldn’t budge. It was full of water.
How did that happen?🤔
Imagine my embarrassment when the mystery was quickly solved: I left the barrel under the downspout.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
Romans 13:14 (NKJV)
At some point, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, I started stress eating–BIG TIME! December 2022 found me twenty-five pounds heavier than just a year earlier. As I scratched my head, wondering how this happened, my wife reminded me that the cupboards were still stocked with my favorite sugary snacks.
In other words: It’s hard to eat healthy if you keep unhealthy food in the house. “Draining the rain barrel”–not eating between meals–wasn’t going to be enough. I had to “Move away from the down spout”–get rid of the junk food I craved.
Kind reader, I put on weight when I needed to put on Christ. Cookies and ice cream became an idol to me. And all the will power in the world couldn’t help. It was only when I confessed my sin–living to eat, rather than eating to live–that my situation changed.
Is there something in your life you need to make no provision for, so you can put on the Lord Jesus Christ?
Thank you for reading. 🙏❤️ prayers and love.
Davids Daily Dose 
Comments
36 responses to “The Mystery of the Rain Barrel”
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Exactly! Amen.🙏
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It is time to move the rain barrel. Doing the same thing and expecting different things is what you are speaking about. Change is not easy but is the word for repentance.
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Amen, brother! This is a lesson I’m still learning.
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Comfort food weight gain snuck up on many of use during the shut down. True that it is better to draw comfort from God’s word.
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No apology needed, David. It happens to all of us!
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I apologize for taking so long to approve your comment, Nancy. For some reason, I didn’t see it until almost a day later. God Bless!
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Yes indeed–God help us!
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Agreed, Nancy! No heavy spiritual rain barrels under the wrong downspouts. God help us!
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Weight isn’t my problem–currently. Dietary restrictions for health concerns help me say, “No thank you.” Nevertheless, I don’t want ANY heavy rain barrel under my downspout! I’ll need God’s help, though; I can’t move it by myself.
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and man do you deliver!
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Thank you, friend. God Bless!
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Thank you, Andy. I aim for simplicity, truth, and relevance. Blessings!
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love this simple truth of this post David!
Andy B
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Put the sugary snack down and slowly move away from the rain barrel! Such good advice on many spiritual levels!
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Yes! I’ve noticed that for sure lol. Glad your answer came. 😊
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Your first sentence is a great summary of this post. Thank you, Petrina! I hear you, sister. I knew I was gaining weight, little by little, but thought I had my sweet tooth under control. NOT!
I appreciate your stopping by. God Bless!
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You’re welcome, Dawn. I hope it’s clear I’m not asking anyone a question I don’t also pose to myself. Sometimes God’s answers aren’t microwave oven fast, either. Have you noticed that? I was recently troubled about something and prayed about it, off and on, for six days before the answer came from the Lord. That’s really not that long, though.☺️
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Thank you for the reminder. Put on Christ. Put away idols. Great post.
And…🤣 I am rather amused.
You are funny about wondering how it happened.
It reminds me of myself. In earlier days, I would gain weight over time and almost never realized when it was actually happening.
Then it’s like one day, I looked in the mirror and I was like 20 lb heavier and was shocked.
I remember asking my friends how come they hadn’t told me how I looked. The answer was, “I thought you knew!” 😅
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Thanks David. I appreciate the question you asked. God will show us what changes we need to make when we take time to ask Him. It’s important to keep making necessary changes and growing.
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My problem is cookies and ice cream became my go to snack after every meal—except breakfast. Too much!
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Cookies and Cream? No problem. Moose tracks is another story altogether! It’s hard for me to imagine eating something so delicious is a sin. *sigh* Could you not have written about ANYTHING else?? 😊
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Good point, What our “rain barrel” is under matters. This could be a post all by itself. I hope the fish are biting!
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You’re welcome, brother! I received your letter via U.S. Mail yesterday! I will write back soon. God’s best to you and Susan as well!
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Excellent illustration David, thank you brother. God bless you and Nancy this weekend 🙏
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It’s always being positioned for input from the right source isn’t it. Like the children’s song “Oh be careful little eyes what you see…” as well as ears, mouth, hands and feet. Great illustration David. Gonna position myself for a fish meal today.
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Thank you, friend. It’s been slow going but I’ve changed my eating habits. I appreciate your stopping by today!
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I always hope my readers will pick up where I left off and make their own connections. Thank you, Bridget! God Bless!
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All the best with losing those last few pounds. You can do it!
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Very intriguing analogy. 🤔 Thinking about moving away from the water spout can open the door to so many meanings. I will be pondering this… About stress eating in particular, I can definitely relate. Life has been extra stressful for about two years for me. May we learn to turn to God first, and put food (and any other idol) in the proper place. Thanks for this gentle nudge, David.
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Right back at you, brother!
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Much love and prayer!
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It snuck up on me slowly, brother, like it can with a lot of things. Food became a security blanket to me. Thanks for reading and commenting. God Bless!
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You’re welcome, BG. I may as well tell it like it is. The Lord knows anyway. I still have about ten pounds to go. Thanks for stopping by, brother!
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I’m glad to know I am not the only one who gained a few extra pounds after the COVID pandemic! You’re right—often we turn to our creature comforts—like food—when we really need to spend time at the feet of Jesus. Excellent post!
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Great story! I have heard of this before! It brings such honor to God when we are transparent! Blessings Dave! Thanks bro!
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