Friday, June 8, 2018

What Do You Want Me to Do for You?


Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" "Be quiet!" many of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, "Tell him to come here." So they called the blind man. "Cheer up," they said. "Come on, he's calling you!" Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked. "My rabbi," the blind man said, "I want to see!" And Jesus said to him, "Go, for your faith has healed you." Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road. - Mark 10:46-52 NLT

Jesus asked…What do you want me to do for you? There doesn’t seem to be parallel story or promise in the Old Testament although in the prophesy of Isaiah…the blind will see. That is a day to look forward to for those in Israel.
In that day the deaf will hear words read from a book, and the blind will see through the gloom and darkness. The humble will be filled with fresh joy from the LORD. The poor will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.  Isaiah 29:18-19 

We have great wisdom in the book of James concerning prayer…. Are you sick? Pray and ask for prayer.
But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned. Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:12-16
Prayer is powerful. What do you want Jesus to do for you? Ask…and you will receive. Spend so time meditating on what He has already done for you…and offer Him your worship in glory, honor and praise. He is an awesome God. Is Jesus your God…your Savior?

Prayer ~ Lord God, I praise You…and adore You. You are an awesome God. Powerful, just and merciful. Please hear the prayers of those who are sick and blind…and heal them. Give us all wisdom and understanding…like that that You gave Solomon in the book of Proverbs. Wisdom that we would seek You with all of our hearts, souls, mind and strength. That is the desire of my heart…to serve You…to love You…to know You more deeply each day.

Daily Bible Reading: Proverbs 16-18

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table
Time to Feast! My brother has been studying God’s word concerning heaven and he assures me that there will be no meat served in heaven. There will be no death, no killing…thus no meat in heaven. Eat up and enjoy here and now. We’ll be eating more veggies, nuts and grains in heaven. What is a banquet without meat? We’ll get used to it and probably won’t know the difference. It just won’t matter.

Time for some comfort food. We recently spent some time visiting Charleston, South Carolina. Grits are big there—anytime of day. Breakfast, lunch, or supper. This is one of the most versatile foods around. Can you imagine oatmeal or cream of wheat being served anytime of day. I think not—but bring on the grits. As a northern I’m not so familiar with grits, although they are available in supermarkets across the country. Cook up a basic recipe of grits. For breakfast add butter or coconut oil, and honey or syrup. Sprinkle some cinnamon on top to add yet another dimension of flavor. For lunch, how about cheesy grits—it may replace the kids’ favorite macaroni and cheese! For supper or any special dinner, serve up some shrimp and grits in a creamy, cheesy or BBQ sauce.

Basic Grits – The traditional stone ground grits, or hominy, rather than the instant variety will provide more flavor.

1 cup coarsely ground grits
4 cups water or 3 ½ cups milk
1 tsp salt

Heat the water or milk and salt to a boil, reduce heat and stir in grits. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The grits will be creamier made with milk. Use this as a basic recipe for any grits dish. Enjoy with a dab of butter or coconut oil on top for a simple side dish any time of day.
 
Watch for more grits recipes on the next two Fridays as we Feast at the King’s Table together. Savor His Words and good food that He has provided for us.

What is your favorite way to eat grits? Comment in the comment box below—provide your recipe if you like.

What is your favorite comfort food?
© 2018 Text and photo by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
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