Trust the Master Chef

When I was in my foods and nutrition class in high school, we had the opportunity to bake and make a variety of things. One day in foods class we were making biscuits. As we got all the ingredients together, I followed the instructions, mixed, and plopped my doughy creation onto the pan. I had visions of grandeur. I could just picture my biscuits coming out of the oven light brown, warm, and flaky just like in a Pillsbury commercial.

When the biscuits finally were done and they came out, it wasn't just as I had dreamed, but they didn't look bad either. When they had cooled a bit, I took one of my creations in hand and brought it towards my mouth and bit into...what was worst biscuit of my life. Something was terribly off about this biscuit. It was on that day that I realized something very important. There's a big difference between baking powder and baking soda. I didn't get it right and I made a bad biscuit. If only I followed instructions as well as I dreamt about biscuits.

There are some things in life that we just need to get right. Details matter and if missed, they can have big consequences. Good intentions don’t always produce good results. Understanding is important too. Get it wrong in foods class and you’ll have a bad biscuit. In life the stakes are much higher and the consequences longer lasting. There are too many stories with bad endings that could have been avoided if people would have paid attention to God’s Word. God doesn’t want any of us to live a could’ve, would’ve, should’ve kind of life. He desires for us to have life and have to it to the full (John 10:10). However, that comes as a response to hearing and heeding His instruction.

If you have a Bible, make sure you pick it up regularly. Read it. Study it. Obey it. Don’t let it collect dust on a shelf. Let God’s Word seep into your heart and come to life. There is great blessing when you choose follow God’s recipe for life. Jesus reminds us in Luke 11:28 (ESV),

“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

When God gives you instruction, shows you the details, or convicts your heart in which way to go, don’t ignore Him. Listen to Him and watch how He cooks up something wonderful in your life. We may make mistakes and bake some bad biscuits, but God never does. Trust the Master Chef and know that life will taste much better when you do.

The Flyswatter of the Spirit

My son was afraid of bugs when he was little. Flies, grasshoppers, and other sorts of bugs brought fear to his heart. One day I tried to show him that he didn't have to be afraid. I fetched the flyswatter from the house and showed it to him. I told him the flyswatter was for swatting bugs. I then proceeded to show him how he could smash bugs with the flyswatter. I told him when he had the flyswatter those bugs would be afraid of him. When I gave him the flyswatter he turned from a fearful little kid into a fearless bug-smashing vigilante. We went throughout the house together while as he shouted his battle cry, "Smash those buggies".

Something peculiar happened in my son's life that is a reminder to each of us about how faith and fear work. Everything changed when I, his dad, placed something in his hands. He now had something to hang onto that gave him the faith to overcome his fear. Our heavenly Father places something into our hands as well. He gives us the sword of the Spirit, which is the Bible (Ephesians 6:17). It is what we have been given to hang onto. It energizes our faith and lets us overcome our fears.

There are many things in life that may cause us to live in fear, but that isn't the way God wants us to live. He wants us to live by faith. He places His Word into our hands and gives us the ability to fight back. Take the Word of God in your hand and watch how it will transform you. Watch how fear gives way to faith. When you are submitting to God's Word and standing against your fears with boldness the devil goes running (James 4:7). When you hear His Word, your faith grows (Romans 10:17).

Has fear taken you captive? Has the enemy been creeping and crawling around your life trying to get you off track? Has Satan been buzzing in your ear, trying to fill your mind with lies? Take what your heavenly Father has for you. Hold the flyswatter of the Spirit, that is the Word of God, firmly in your hand. Then smash fear and the schemes of Satan like the pests that they are.

Something Better than Money

There are many of us who I’m sure could use a little extra money. Money has value. It can make things happen, help us acquire what we need, and settle our debts. As valuable as money may be, there are some things that are simply better. There are certain things we need to prioritize above making another dollar. These are things that money can’t buy. Listen to the wisdom from Proverbs 15:16-17 (ESV),

16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it. 17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.

Gain and use your money wisely, but never chase it at the expense of our relationship with God and love for others. Remember having a reverence for God is better than great riches. Jesus said it like this in Mark 8:36,

“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”

You can have the best that money can buy, but those things find more value when you have someone to share them with. Big houses, fast cars, and fancy food aren’t nearly as precious as love. If you have a loving family and people that truly care about you, you are blessed. You can’t buy that at Walmart or on Amazon. It doesn’t have a price tag.

Take some time today to recalibrate what really makes a person blessed. It’s the presence of the Lord and love. If you have those, no matter how much money is in your bank account, you are rich. Don’t trade them for money, and don’t lose sight of them in the pursuit of money. Money is a wonderful blessing but always remember there is something better than money.

Roll Your Work Your Work to the Lord

There is a sure-fire way to make sure that work we do in this life will last and have a good foundation. It all has to do with our goal and aim. People live for all sorts of things like themselves, money, power, or popularity. However, the Bible teaches us that if we put God first and commit our work to Him, we can do something that really lasts. Consider Proverbs 16:3 (ESV),

Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

What are you working on in life? What kind of plans are you making?  What is your aim? Have you included the Lord? We are called to entrust whatever we are doing to the Lord. We are to make the Lord our aim and destination. Glorifying Him is our purpose and loving Him is our duty. He should be the foundation for all our work, hopes, and dreams especially if we want it to last.

Interestingly, the verb “commit” from our verse can often be translated “to roll”. You could say roll your work to the Lord and your plans will be established. Picture this. You have a wonderful Radio Flyer wagon. In it you put all things you are working on. Maybe you’re working on improving finances, mending a relationship, or starting something new. The main goal is not just to get them into the wagon and work on them. The main goal is to roll that wagon filled with everything you are working on towards God.

Committing or rolling your work to the Lord is making Him our goal. For example, I don’t work to make money. Instead, as I work and make money my goal is to glorify God. I put my finances in the wagon and roll it towards God. What direction is your wagon rolling? Make sure you are heading in God’s direction. If you can do that, your plans will be established to the glory of God.