Create
in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me
from your presence, and don't take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the
joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Psalm 51:10-12
Make
me willing to obey you. Make me.
God doesn’t force us to do anything. We are not His puppets. He has given us
free will and the ability to make our own choices in life. Choices can be
selfish…just for our own benefit…or to please the Lord. We can always ask for
His help and guidance—knowing that He loves us and wants the best for us. The
choices we make impact our family, friends, work associates and
neighbors…sometimes even strangers. Choose wisely.
But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose
today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served
beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you
now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:15
Who are those who fear the LORD? He will
show them the path they should choose. Psalm 25:12
Choose a good reputation over great riches;
being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold. Proverbs 22:1
Willing to obey you. Obedience involves a surrender of our will, of being willing
to submit to another’s will, whether it is obedience to the Lord God Himself or
to a covenant made between two people and God—as in marriage vows. Love, honor
and obey. Not everyone uses that phrase in their exchange of wedding vows, but
it is a pledge to honor God as well as the other person. Honor God by honoring
and obeying His commandments. No adultery…no lies. God expects us to obey…but
it is by faith that we are saved.
Clearly, God's promise to give
the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience
to God's law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. If
God's promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary
and the promise is pointless. For the law always brings punishment on those who
try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to
break!) So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we
are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of
Moses, if we have faith like Abraham's. For Abraham is the father of all who
believe. Romans
4:13-16
While Jesus was here on earth,
he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who
could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep
reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God's Son, he learned obedience from
the things he suffered.
Hebrews 5:7-8
During
His last supper with His disciples, Jesus reminded them about His love and the
obedience that He desired from them.
I have loved you even as the
Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you
remain in my love, just as I obey my Father's commandments and remain in his
love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes,
your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way
I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for
one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. John 15:9-14
Are you
willing to obey? I choose, once again, today to serve God…and to obey His word
to the best of my ability. I’m not perfect…just wanting to please the Lord in
all that I think, say and do.k
Review
this scripture passage for memorization.
Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.
Do not banish me from your presence,
and don't take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and make me willing to obey you.
How can
you apply each of these portions of the scripture passage to your life?
Prayer
~ Help me—as well as my family, friends and neighbors to be willing to be
obedient and to love each other…as You love each of us.
Daily
Bible Reading: Isaiah 40-43
Friday’s
Feast at the King’s Table
Next Wednesday would have been my sister,
Shirley’s 71th birthday. She was killed over twenty-nine years ago
in a domestic violence incident. She was a great cook…and baker. Her apple pies
were the best and growing up she won several blue ribbons at the county fair
for those great pies. To honor her I want to share her favorite pie crust and
apple pie recipes with you.
Pie Crust
2 c. flour
1 tsp salt
¾ c shortening
¼ c cold water
Mix 1/3 cup flour and the ¼ cup water into a paste. Set
aside. Cut the shortening into the remaining flour until pea-sized lumps. Add
the flour-water paste. Mix well. Divide into 2 parts. Roll out crusts and place
in pie tin.
Note: This may be doubled to make more pies. It is our
family’s favorite pie crust recipe. Always a flaky crust. The original recipe
came from a 1954 Betty Furness Westinghouse Cook Book. The cover is torn off
and it is a well-used cook book, especially the pie section.
Shirley’s
All-American Apple Pie
5 c thinly sliced, pealed apples
1 c sugar
2 Tbsp flour
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp butter
Pastry for 2 crust 9” pie
Combine sugar, flour, spices, salt and lemon juice. Add
apples. Toss to mix.
Roll out pastry, line pie pan. Trim off overhanging pastry.
Roll pastry for top. Add half the apple mixture. Dot with butter. Add the
remaining apples. Moisten the rim of the crust with water. Adjust top crust,
trimming so there is about ½ inch overhang. Fold edges of crust together and
seal rim by pressing together. Flute edge. Brush crust with milk. Add vent
holes—usually cut in the letter “A” for apple.
Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 50-60 minutes or until
apples test done with a fork. You may want to put foil around the edge of the
pie crust before baking and remove for the last 15 minutes.
Enjoy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
© 2019 Text and
photo by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All
scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
Follow And Like
"Banquet With The King" on Facebook. 👍
No comments:
Post a Comment