I am really not the best of cooks, and I even manage to muck up the recipes I use: either I forget where I am in counting (was the one or two?), I forget ingredients, or I don’t know specifically what the recipe means (what size egg, is that packed or not packed sugar?). So it was with trepidation one day that I decided- after twenty years of marriage- to attempt pumpkin pie for my hubby. Carefully I read the instructions on the recipe my mom-in-law gave me, and ended up with a bunch of questions.
Happily, my sister called and I asked her all the questions and wrote down the answers. The most confusing thing she told me was I could use an extra egg if I wanted them more custard like. Huh?!? Since I don’t eat it, I figured on using what the recipe called for. She also told me ‘you will know when they are done because the filling will crack, and that will be after about 45/ 50 min. Within the hour, I had my two pies (each recipe usually makes two) in the oven at the appropriate temperature.
Forty five, fifty, sixty, seventy… the minutes kept going on, but the pies were still too wet and definitely not cracking. I had to cover the crusts so they didn’t burn. Eventually, they stopped looking wet though they never did crack, so I took them out to cool. Later that night my sister called and asked how it went. She never heard of pie taking that long to cook so she went through everything step by step. As we got to the eggs she asked how many I used and it was only then I realized I’d forgotten the eggs completely. Aha! That was the problem. (You know your hubby loves you when he eats your messed up pie!!!)
We have the greatest instruction book around called the “Holy Bible”. It gives those of us who believe and trust in Christ instructions for how we are to live our lives. The Bible is not just a collection of stories, fables, and symbolic tales for moral lessons, etc. but it is full of truth and is God’s Word able to help us in our journeys and our relationship with our Lord.
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable (helpful) for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished (complete, mature, and fully equipped) unto all good works. 2Tm. 3:15 -17
With that in mind, the instructions are quite clear in our treatment of God and man. As I heard last night, they are not suggestions, maybes, if you feel like it-s, if it’s easy-s, or if the other person is treating you appropriately-s. “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Jesus said (Jh. 14:15 ISV). “The person who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I, too, will love him and reveal myself to him." (v.21) Do you want the Lord to reveal Himself to you? Obey.
The speaker said, “If you have lost your joy, go back to the last thing God told you to do- did you obey it?” If you didn’t and now you are unhappy, then that is likely the problem. You cannot live within God’s peace and joy if you are disobedient (or neglectful) of acting on His Word. That’s what got me thinking about those first pumpkin pies I made. I didn’t follow the instructions completely so they did not turn out the way I wanted or expected. Instead, they were disappointing. So if my Christian life is unsatisfactory, perhaps I need to look within myself and see if I am following God’s instructions carefully…
or am I just going off in my own direction?
Hmmmmmmm...