Lumpy dough!
Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Judges 12, 13, 14
Judges 13:24-25 (NIV)
24 The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the Lord blessed him, 25 and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him while he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
Good morning!
Before the days of a Kitchen Aid food processing system, my mother and I used to stand at the kitchen table in our matching aprons, holding spatulas in our hands while stirring the cake batter in the bowl. My mother was a fabulous cook! We kneaded dough with our bare hands. We would often find flour splashed on our faces and in our hair, as we put a little muscle into the mixing. Mom used to be a real stickler on making sure the lumps were all gone and every bit of the batter was smooth and creamy. Her hot cross buns melted in your mouth; chocolate cakes were light and moist. The neighbors knew when my mother was baking. The sweet smell of warm bread would drift out from the kitchen window and into the back yard. Do you remember the days when it took hours to prepare a meal and every recipe was made from scratch?
Kneading bread dough was always a challenge for me. Not a speck of flour was left as it formed the shiny dough ball. The consistency of the dough was important if we wanted the bread to rise. It was not always easy kneading the doughy batter. It takes lots of elbow grease and a determination of will. Conquer and divide was the battle cry of the bakers!
When the Lord stirs up His spirit within me, He often starts from scratch. Sometimes He has to work really hard to get all the lumps out. I'm talking about all of the doughy places where I bear resentment or animosity. He takes my bowl of lumpy batter and kneads it into a smooth and shiny substance, which will someday rise and emit a sweet and fragrant scent. The consistency of my life lived for Christ is born in the kneading and molding of my heart song. The Lord does this, sometimes with great force, because my stubbornness, self-centered attitude, and hard heart needs a strong arm to reshape the sharp edges of my life. There are other times, when the Lord stirs my spirit in a gentle way, nudging me to step out of my box and spill into the stream of everyday living.
When my heart is lumpy and brittle, he kneads me back to fullness of life. Through His Word and in prayer, I find elasticity and flexibility within His holy hand. I may not enjoy the kneading process, but I love what the Lord is shaping in my life. He never gives up on me. I love the Lord so much when He stirs His Holy Spirit up in my heart!
Over and over again, we see the Lord stirring up the Spirit in the hearts of the people. God had a plan for young Samson. He has a plan for you too. The next time you feel like the Lord's kneading is a little rough, take joy in knowing He is preparing you to rise with Him in perfection and praise. Is your spirit being stirred today? What is He preparing you for? Are you willing to be poured out for Him?
Grace and peace,
Deb Spaulding
www.songofdeborah.com
Pray for: God to take the lumps in your life and smooth them out, so that you can be a heart He can use in kingdom work. Let the Lord stir your spirit up today. Ask Him to mold you into the child He has created you to be.
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© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding
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