The Recipe

Wednesday 3-18-15 (Martinez, Argentina)

Scripture reading:    Josh 1-2         Ps 37        1 Cor 3

S.  Ps 37:3-7  Trust in the LORD and do good.  Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.  Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires. Commit everything you do to the LORD.  Trust him, and he will help you.  He will make your innocence as clear as the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.  Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act.  NLT

O.  It’s a recipe: Two large scoops of trust, sprinkle in some good deeds, stir in your delight in the Lord, commit the whole mix into His oven, then be still and wait patiently.  The problem is that God doesn’t give us the oven temperature setting or the baking time.  If you do it just right… you will get a loaf of “safety” soaked in “prosperity” and for dessert “your heart’s desires.”  Now that’s a great meal!

A.  Some people are by nature great cooks.  They actually like to cook.  They don’t have to measure the ingredients in by spoons or cups.  They just toss in the right amount of this and that, shake in a little salt and mix it up.  They know instinctively how high and how long to bake it.  On the other hand I can read all the instructions and try to obey them to the letter and it all comes out like sticky glue.  End result?  I don’t know how to cook… and don’t want to learn.

Now in God’s recipe, shown above, the two unknowns are temperature and time.  I guess that is because it is different for different circumstances.  I am not only poor at cooking, I am no good at “waiting patiently”.  I’ll open the oven seven times to see if it is really cooking.  “Waiting” is not my strength and “patience” is not in my vocabulary.  I often wondered why God sent me to Latin America where everybody has to wait in eternally long lines for the bus, the bank, the grocery clerk and to pay the light bill.  Brother Paul wrote, “Tribulation worketh patience.” Rom. 5:3… but who wants tribulation?!

P.  Lord God of heaven, maybe you could skip the “tribulation” and just dole me out a nice portion of “patience.”  No?  Okay, then I guess I would prefer to continue without the virtue of patience.  You don’t like that option?  You want me to grow up and be strong?  Is that really You talking to me?  Did I dial a wrong number?  Okay, let’s get it over-with.  Do you have a micro-wave version?  I’ll just have to wait?!  Well, if You let me sing and worship while I wait, I think I can make it work.  I love You Lord.  You are far too good to me.  Thank You for Your long-suffering patience with me.  Amen.

Ralph