O LORD, listen to my cry; give me the
discerning mind you promised. Psalm 119:169
A wise discerning mind. That is the kind of
mind I want. What does it mean to discern? To distinguish or to judge—but it
goes beyond that to a depth of understanding, an awareness of what is happening
around me and those who are with me.
So let us discern for ourselves what is
right; let us learn together what is good. Job 34:4.
He gives one person the power to perform
miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the
ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another
spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown
languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.
1 Corinthians 12:10.
Are you spiritual discerning? Do you allow
God to guide you in the choices you make, day by day…moment by moment? I think
that the little choices we make are just as critical as the big life changing
choices, especially as we grow older and don’t have so many “big” choices to
make. We’ve already chosen our career…and as a retired person that is basically
over. But there are continually choices to make…what to do today? How can I
serve You, Lord? Have you put on your spiritual armor today? That is an
important choice to make every day…and then to discern when the spiritual
battle is raging around you and others. Pray and put on the armor that our Lord
has provided.
Prayer
~ Lord, I humbly put on all of the armor that You provide so that I will be
able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For I am not fighting
against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the
unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil
spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, I put on every piece of Your armor
so I will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the
battle I will still be standing firm. I stand my ground, putting on the belt of
truth and the body armor of Your righteousness. For shoes, I put on the peace
that comes from the Good News so that I will be fully prepared. In addition to
all of these, I hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the
devil. I put on salvation as my helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which
is the word of God. I pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. I
will stay alert and be persistent in my prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians
6:11-18. Thank you, Jesus, for your love,
grace, mercy and discernment in my life…and in the lives of my family, friends
and neighbor, too.
Friday’s
Feast at the King’s Table
It is the best time of the year for fresh
beets. One of our favorite ways to serve beets is pickled. If you are making
pickled beets, why not have some pickled eggs, too? The beet juice is such a
delightful dye.
Pickled
Beets (adapted
from Betty Crocker’s Cookbook, 1972)
2 lb
fresh beets (about 8 medium sized), or 2 cans -1 pound each
1½ cups
sugar
¾ cups
apple cider vinegar
2
3-inch cinnamon sticks
1 tbsp
whole cloves, optional
1 tsp
allspice, optional
Scrub
the fresh beets well. Cook beets in several cups of water. Add 1 tbsp vinegar
to preserve color and about 1 tsp salt. Cover and heat to boil, cook 30-45
minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving the liquid. Run cold water over
beets. Cut off the ends and slip off the skins. You may want to wear disposable
gloves to keep your hands from being stained. Slice to desired size or shape.
If they are small beets, you can leave them whole.
Add
sugar, vinegar and spices to the reserved beet liquid (using the beet liquid
from canned beets). Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Pour over beets;
cool. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours.
Remove
beets with a slotted spoon to serve.
Pickled
Eggs
Hard
boil several eggs. Peel and add to pickled beet juice.
Wait at
least twenty-four hours before serving.
© 2016 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT)
unless otherwise noted.
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