That Which Doesn’t Kill Us Makes Us Stronger

Prayer ~ Lord, just as You have gathered the Jews back into the Promised Land that You gave to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob thousands of years ago, You are faithfully fulfilling Your promise to them and making their land prosperous. You have surely blessed them! Your love for them is awesome—may they see Your mighty hand at work in their lives.   

 

Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation and before the leaders of the nation. He changes rivers into deserts, and springs of water into dry, thirsty land. He turns the fruitful land into salty wastelands, because of the wickedness of those who live there. But he also turns deserts into pools of water, the dry land into springs of water. He brings the hungry to settle there and to build their cities. They sow their fields, plant their vineyards, and harvest their bumper crops. How he blesses them! They raise large families there, and their herds of livestock increase. When they decrease in number and become impoverished through oppression, trouble, and sorrow, the LORD pours contempt on their princes, causing them to wander in trackless wastelands. But he rescues the poor from trouble and increases their families like flocks of sheep. The godly will see these things and be glad, while the wicked are struck silent. Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the LORD. Psalm 107:31-43

 

Meditate. How do you see God working in your life?

 

It is awesome to see God at work in Israel. Throughout their history, He has miraculously provided for them…only to have them ignore or reject Him. We see the cycle in the book of Judges. They plead with God for Him to rescue or help them. He helps them. They are happy and eventually they ignore God again, so they fall into trouble. Again, they cry out to God for help. He helps them…and the cycle repeats. Do we all learn anything from this?     

 

Pray for the Jews in Israel...in Jerusalem
Sign as seen in Jerusalem

The Psalmist writes that the wise will take all this to heart as they see God’s faithful love in the history of the Jews. He has brought them back into the Promised Land and blesses them with fruitful fields and vineyards. Are they wise and taking this to heart? The Jews are still looking for a Messiah for their nation—not for themselves, although some have individually taken this to heart and accepted Jesus as their Messiah, becoming Jews for Jesus. Bible prophecy gives encouragement that God will still save His chosen people. There will be a time of trouble—but no doubt, everyone at some point has to go through trouble. God makes us stronger…as we obediently go through the struggles and trials of life. Those troubled times that we all get at some point. Like the old adage…that which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. God has made a difference in my life…made me stronger—and yet I’m weaker. My strength is in Him…in Christ, my Lord, my Savior, my Redeemer, the King of kings and Lord of lords who is coming back someday to take all the believers to be with Him forever. I see how He has worked and is working my life. I am glad and eternally grateful to Him.   

Verse of Salvation ~ Let the whole earth sing to the LORD! Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. 1 Chronicles 16:23

 

Memory Verse of the Week ~ Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. Psalm 107:8

 

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

We can’t live on bread alone. How about a supper of rice bowls—like sushi but not wrapped up in Nori seaweed sheets. Just put sushi rice, seaweed salad, cooked (or raw) meat…cooked crab, cooked shrimp, raw sushi-grade salmon or tuna…thinly sliced cucumber, avocado, green onion, slivers of carrots or pickled turnips, mango, or even grated apple. Serve with nori and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. A favorite sushi topper for my grandchildren is Tamago—a sweet Japanese omelet. So here is a recipe for Tamago.

 

Tamago

3 eggs

1 Tbsp Mirin (Japanese rice wine)

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp light soy sauce

 

Mix egg lightly not adding lots of air, but incorporating yolk and white together. Add mirin, sugar, and soy sauce. Pour a small portion of the mixture onto a lightly oiled flat frying pan on medium low heat. After a couple of minutes fold the egg onto itself in a small rectangle, allowing the egg ot stick to itself. Place that rectangle to the side of the pan and pour another small amount onto the pan, incorporating the previously cooked portion. As it cooks fold the egg onto itself, not flipping it like a western style omelet. Add a little more oil to the pan, using a paper towel. Add more of the egg mixture. Cook this portion as before, folding it onto itself keeping the rectangle shape. Continue until the egg batter is all used. Let the egg cool a little before cutting into smaller rectangles. Use in a sushi roll, place on a rectangle of sushi rice, or use in a sushi rice bowl. Enjoy at breakfast, lunch, or supper.

 

© 2022 Text, photos and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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Books by Mickey M. Hunacek

Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

Coins of the Bible: New Testament Stories

Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com