Daily
2 Peter 1:5-8 (NIV)
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Good morning!
Many years ago, our church choir sang a little Christmas chorus, a recipe jingle entitled “Fruitcake.” I wish I could remember all of the words. Just like every well-worn recipe I’ve tried, our chorus had the makings of a glorious holiday fruitcake, and we knew how to put it all together! It was hard keeping a straight face while cooking up this little number with my friends.
Some of my very favorite recipes are not really recipes at all. When my grandmother baked, she didn’t have anything written down to double check. She baked from scratch, using her senses to determine the consistency of a perfect, gooey cake batter. She never messed it up, and I’ve yet to acquire that skill set. I need a measuring cup and a good set of measuring spoons, along with a recipe in large print sitting right in front of me. That is as close as I get to baking from scratch. My grandmother would have won the blue ribbon for her homemade biscuits or cinnamon rolls. She could have been famous like many of the television cooks who help us find new ways to prepare and serve food to our families today. Everything her hands touched turned to pure gold. Her hands were cracked and dry, swollen from arthritis and over use. She never sported a manicure or pretty nail polish on her nails. Her hands were well-worn from hours spent cooking the delicacies her children and grandchildren loved to eat. My grandmother’s hands were never too sore or tired to create yet another family feast. She baked from scratch every day of her life.
God has a recipe just waiting to be whipped up in each of us. It is a baked-from-scratch delicacy, formed by His holy hands. You are His blue-ribbon masterpiece, a delightful “fruitcake” of gifts and graces. If you are willing to let Him be your Master Chef, He can create a living fruitcake in your heart. God begins with the seed of faith, planted long before you were ever the twinkle in your parents’ eyes. To that, He adds a healthy measure of goodness, knowledge, self-control, and perseverance, the preservative of life. He completes the mix with godliness, brotherly kindness, and tops it all off in love. For this batter to rise, it must be seasoned with a little salt, baking powder, baking soda, and yeast. The Father gives His leavening agents in increasing measure, so that we will continue to grow daily in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ. These ingredients are not meant to stand alone, for the cake would surely fall without each ingredient working in tandem to compliment each other.
The Apostle Peter reminds us that a “rich welcome” is awaiting every believer into the eternal
Lord, help me become your secret recipe – the unique creation you have designed me to be! Bake up your fruitcake inside my heart today. Help me share Your love with the world during this season of Advent waiting. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
Grace and peace,
Deb Spaulding
Faith UMC -
Pray for: God to create His special fruitcake inside of you this day! He has given you everything you need to answer the call He has placed in your life. Let the master baker become Lord of your life right now. Come Lord Jesus!
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© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding
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