Fried Cornbread & Jesus

My husband has long been convinced that fried cornbread is spiritual. He read something in the Old Testament about using the finest meal to fry cakes in a pan. That is all it took to satisfy him that God actually likes fried cornbread. Because I am of course a loving, submissive wife, I agree and eat it with him.  It’s my job you know.

In Hosea 7:8, the Lord calls Ephraim a cake not turned. Spurgeon compares this to a Christian who is mature and sanctified in some areas of their lives but still raw in others. Since I have cooked a few skillets of fried cornbread over the years, I understand what it means to leave one side down in the oil too long. The bottom gets black and the top is still gooey. So, does this mean that when we refuse to allow the Lord to turn us towards his Holy Fire we are showing our gooey side to the world? And even worse, one side of us is so drenched with religion we become burned and distasteful?

God works in each of our lives teaching, healing past wounds and bringing revelation about different aspects of His nature while changing different aspects of our nature. It is important for Him to work maturity, character and integrity into our being if He is going to be able to use us as He desires. And so comes the cooking.  (I am laughing as I type this – what a horrible way to describe God’s faithfulness and sanctification….but we are going with Hosea here.)

I believe the Lord allows (ordains?) circumstances in our lives that will turn our gooey side to His holy flame so He can ‘cook’ that part of our person. Could it be that perhaps there are times when God steps back and allows this life to bring situations to us that He can use to cook our goo?

Thinking back on my own past, I can remember times when life threw me a curve and turned me in a direction that caused me to scream like the little girl I am.  Let’s face it, no one likes the fire. When I hear someone say they just love the fire of God, I wonder if they have really experienced the fire of God. Don’t get me wrong, I love and cherish the results of His fire, but walking through it … nope, not an enjoyable thing for me. However, once the Lord has proven Himself to me in that area, the next trial doesn't scare me … at least not so much.

Fortunately, when God allows life to flip our gooey side down, He walks with us through the trial. The truth that it is His fire means that He is in it with us. (deep sigh here)

We are individual and unique before God. Because of that He works on a special timetable for each of us, according to His purposes and our ability to trust Him. No matter the situation, I believe he will use it to draw us closer to Him. It will increase our faith and give us deeper revelation of His person. Whatever the problem, whether its pain, sorrow, loss, grief  –  if we can bring ourselves to embrace it and trust God through it, we will be not only healed but made stronger in Him.  

Isiah 45:3 is one of my favorite verses. There are treasures in the darkness and the greatest treasure is Him.  Even in the fire of His holiness we stand complete in Him and come out of that season leaning on Him and moving forward in maturity and love. The greatest sorrows of this life will work together for our good if we love Him and are called according to His purposes. God promises that.

Turn me Lord and make sure I am fully cooked. 

God's Economy - Treasures of the Darkness

Surrender. Just the sound of the word conjures up an unhappy feeling. It involves a white flag, an admittance of failure. The most common picture is of one general facing another either on a battlefield or in a meeting room, surrounded by the enemy and laying his sword down in shame. His surrender puts him under the other's authority. Any way you look at it, surrender is an ugly thing. It is painful, embarrassing and leaves me feeling empty inside.

And yet, that is exactly what Jesus did when he allowed them to nail Him to the cross. He surrendered to people that he could easily have annihilated. His surrender bought peace for you and for me. That is the amazingly good news. The rest of the story is not always so amazing. That's the part when He asks us to do the same. To follow his lead in surrender is painful, often embarrassing and just plain scary.

This past week, the Lord brought me to a place of surrender in an area very close to my heart. It was painful and frightening. I resisted for quite a while. I 'discussed' it, argued with the Lord, made my claim to rights - all very legit claims in the natural. But the time came when the Lord brought me to that still small voice that asked if I really wanted to hold onto what I was claiming rights to. If so, He would let me keep it and that wold be the end of the trial. No more bartering, no more whining, He would still love me and I could keep it.

About the time I drew a deep breath and started to relax, He mentioned that if I would surrender and trust Him, the peace coming out of the surrender would be so much more wonderful.  Of course when He put it like that, there really wasn't a decision. I wanted His peace more than anything.

I'm sorry I cannot go into detail, but I can tell you this - the freedom that came out of surrender has been amazing. In surrendering something I thought was so important to me, I found deliverance in an area I had prayed about for years. The two were not connected in any way, except in obedience and surrender. God's economy continues to mystify me. He alone is God.

So, my friends, surrender can be a wonderful thing. In many ways, the word has been given a bad rep. There is freedom and peace in surrender ... when the Lord brings it about.

Jesus answered, "It is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." Mat 4:4

Pursue!

Pursue: you shall recover all.

Pursue: to follow in order to overtake, capture, kill, etc.;

David had just returned to Ziklag to find the village burned and every woman and child taken captive, including his two wives. He inquired of the Lord whether he should go after them. God's answer was:

Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.  I Sam. 30:8(b)

David pursued and recovered everything, just as the Lord had spoken. Sometimes in our lives it is necessary to pursue, to fight, to overtake, to recover what has been taken from us. It is wrong to fight when we are told to hold our peace, it is also wrong to sit calmly when the Lord instructs us to pursue. We wrestle not with flesh and blood, but we do wrestle.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Eph 6:12

Today I am battling an enemy - perhaps you are as well. Let's join forces and overcome in the power of the Spirit and the Blood of the Lamb. He that dwells in us is greater than he that is in the world. Come, Holy Spirit and teach us wrestle and when we've done all we can, help us to stand in the power of your name and your authority. Let your presence rule and reign in every area of our lives.

In my limited experience, I have seen that God never sends us into a battle unless He has prepared a way for victory. His love and grace constantly cover us, even when it appears we are drowning - still, He is there. Look up and see Him standing calmly, in complete control over His children.

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 2 Co. 1:20