Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Trust God's Purpose


Again, one of the daily devotions from Open Windows really spoke to me. I will share it in it's entirety and then add my comments at the end.

The scripture reference is Jeremiah 1: 4-8

"The word of the LORD came to me, saying,  "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."  "Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child."  But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD." (NIV)

Here is the devotional.

"The blessings and trials we experience in life are like the ingredients in a cake. When you're mixing them, some taste good by themselves such as sugar and chocolate. But other ingredients - like baking powder and flour aren't pleasant by themselves. Still, they are essential and must be mixed with the good-tasting ingredients to make a delicious final product.

Sometimes we have a hard time understanding why God allows us to go through difficulties and trials. The prophet Jeremiah is a perfect example of tremendous suffering. Through it all, God reassured him that, even from the womb, His purpose for Jeremiah was being fulfilled.

We can trust God, our Maker, to take even the bitter experiences of life and blend them together with the good ones to make all things work for our good. If you are a believer, then God is very clear about your purpose. God is at work in His work, and He's involving each of us in a very specific way."

This is my reaction and comments on the reading.
 I loved the way the author compared our experiences to the ingredients in baking. I know from my own personal experience that all, as a matter of fact most, of the ingredients individually taste terrible. Just try a spoonful of flour, or a pinch of baking powder or baking soda. Even vanilla, as sweet as it smells, burns and is over-powering by itself. Have you ever eaten a raw egg? Definitely NOT tasty. Try some powdered cocoa! It tastes so bitter, but mixed correctly it makes a delicious cake or brownies.  Each of the ingredients are necessary to make a master piece. If even one is omitted, your delicacy will not taste right, it might not even cook right.

We can be confident that the Master Chef is working on us as a perfect creation. Each "recipe" for life calls for specific ingredients (experiences).  Each plan is individual and unique. Your recipe is not the same as mine. Yes, some of the ingredients will be bitter to experience. Others will be sweet and pleasant. Another might even make us physically ill, but we have to trust the Master. He has a plan. He has had a plan all along, even before we were a thought, from the very beginning in our mother's womb. Find comfort in that fact, that the trials you may have been through or are going through now is mixing and creating you into that perfect creation. Afterall God's Word tells us "you have been appointed for a purpose."  God has a plan specifically for YOU! May you be blessed and most of your ingredients be sweet.
Linda

1 comment:

Tina said...

Thank you for sharing your wisdom. It could NOT have come at a better time.