Recipe

Dedra said she would like to have some Chocolate Cake tonight. Not just any Chocolate Cake, but a "Lena" cake. It was a recipe from her uncle's mom that she remembers as "the bomb!" One of those good country church cookbook kind of cakes. If you know my beloved, you know chocolate is a major food group. So we assembled the ingredients, found the recipe in the "recipe book" and set off to bake the cake...from scratch! Intimidated? Nope. I figured if it didn't work, it was still chocolate cake, so it couldn't be all bad.

There was a special way the ingredients were supposed to mixed, a certain method to the preparation,mixing,ingredient content. Each step at the right time to bring about the necessary chemical reaction before the baking or developing process began. We measured each ingredient with care, took pains to take the right steps and followed the directions for mixing. The oven temperature was set at the right degree, the oven rack was in the right place. Only thing left was the baking. Trouble is, the recipe didn't say for how long we were supposed to bake it. It only said until it was done. What to do? What to do? What to do? Mom always stuck a toothpick in the cakes as did Sheila. I used that method.

It came time to check it. I put the toothpick in, and it came out gooey. Not ready. So I left the cake in for a little while longer. Then when checked, the toothpick came out clean. TADAH!!! It was ready. Now, the big test came. Would following the directions, process and baking time prove to be correct? Would it result in a good tasting delight that we waited for? Yep. Dedra and I had a piece with some cold milk (Hungry yet?) and were satisfied that this was the good stuff. The recipe held true.

As I sat there eating that cake, a thought came to me that has been coming back time and time again lately. ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope...
Jeremiah 29:11 .

Don't rush to judgment here. I know that a recipe for chocolate cake is nothing like nor will ever be what our Lord has in store for us. But the meaning, that spoke to me, as it has in several things that have come about, is that He requires obedience. He has laid the plans out, paid the price for a relationship with us when He did NOT have to, gave us the plan of salvation...freely gave us the plan. It just requires acceptance, obedience and "following the recipe". He has assembled all the ingredients...mixed them all up at the right time...served them to us on a cross of shame...came forth from a borrowed tomb, risen and glorious...perfection! We, in turn, only have to ...come and taste...see that the Lord is good! For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare (good) and not for calamity (harm) to give you a future and a hope!! We just have to obey. Like the old Sunday School song says, Trust and Obey, for there's no other way.

He has spoken to me pretty hard in the last several years. I still thought I had to "earn" His affection, His Love, His care, His salvation. Even though I firmly believed, For it is grace that we are saved through faith, it is a gift of God, not of works...There was, regrettably, a part of me that still wanted to earn His love. I didnt have to. I was fighting a fight that had already been won. I am seeing now, that this thought was still the devil telling me that lie. I recognize it now for what it is. Its a lie. Anyone that says different, nullifies what He did on the cross. Now, after salvation, we are created for good works, which we will do with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. He loves us. He wants a relationship with us. He created us to glorify Him.

That is the recipe! Everything that was needed for the perfect plan was assembled, mixed, nurtured and done by Him. We are the ingredient. We just have to surrender to the sifter, mixer, milk and oven to become what He plans. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,"plans for welfare and not calamity to give you a future and a hope." What a recipe He put together! What preparation went into the plan! What a price that was paid for the ingredients! But, the sweet smell or aroma of His saints praising Him and glorifying Him, it is said be acceptable to Him.

The next time you eat some chocolate cake, think about this recipe!

Danl