May 24 –Importing Food

Proverbs 31:14

She is like merchant ships; she brings her food from afar. (NASB)

Some of the best food is ethnic food that is imported. There are so many countries and tasty cuisines from which to choose: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Philippine, Thai, Indian, African, Israeli, Egyptian, Turkish, Greek, Italian Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Poland, Russian, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Ireland, England, Mexican, Caribbean, South American, Hawaiian, as well as regional dishes within the United States. Many grocery stores across the United States carry specialty foreign foods and cooking supplies. The internet provides copious recipes so that people can make anything their imaginations can desire. My family loves good Thai food and sushi!

We can have any food we want—the merchant ships and trucks bring it right to us. God has provided such a wide variety of foods year around for us to consume. I was recently shopping in a big Asian market near Seattle and it was amazing to see foods from probably ten different countries sitting side by side on the shelves. Fish from Morocco and chilies from Mexico were just waiting to be combined with Korean red peppers and noodles from Viet Nam.

Spiritually we don’t have import our food—it is all right in front of us in our Bibles—in a language that we can read. There are passages that we don’t refer to often or aren’t even very familiar with, like some of the Minor Prophets, Zephaniah and Habakkuk. Those books were provided to give direction to the Hebrew people before the time of Christ and to give us insight into New Testament writing. It is good to study these old books and gain an appreciation of them. Habakkuk was written in 607 BC by the prophet Habakkuk, whose name means embracer, because of his love for God. The book was written just before the Hebrew people of Judah were taken into captivity to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. Habakkuk asked why God permitted the evil in Judah to go unpunished and then how God could use the wicked people of Babylonia to punish the Jews? Both good questions—and Habakkuk defends God’s goodness and power although evil exits.

So are you delving deep into God’s word and finding nuggets of truth from distant lands that fill your heart with hopes and dreams?  God’s promises from long ago are still relevant today and given for us as well as for those people in the ancient Bible times. Claim a promise today—here’s one from Zephaniah 3:9-10, "In the end I will turn things around for the people. I'll give them a language undistorted, unpolluted, words to address God in worship and, united, to serve me with their shoulders to the wheel. They'll come from beyond the Ethiopian rivers, they'll come praying—” (from the Message). It is encouraging to know that “in the end” God will turn things around, so don’t give up hope. Seek the Lord with all your heart and when you find Him---or find more of Him, you’ll be rewarded.

Lord, Thank you for the great variety of food from afar that You provide and for Your spiritual food that enriches our lives and blesses us.     

Thai Squash Curry

1 Tbsp Red Curry Paste

2 Tbsp Fish Sauce
3 Tbsp Yoshida’s (or each Soy Sauce & Sugar)
1 can coconut milk
1 Butternut squash, cubed
1 clove of garlic
1 cup asparagus cut in 1” pieces
1 pound shrimp
Cooked rice – ½ to 1 cup per person
Fresh basil to garnish

Saute garlic in olive oil, add squash and cook for about 5 minutes, add milk and cook until tender. Add red curry paste, fish sauce, and Yoshida’s. Then add the asparagus and shrimp and cook for about five minutes or until shrimp are cooked. Serve over rice with fresh basil. Enjoy.  

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.