Friday, March 3, 2023

Keep On…Asking, Seeking, Knocking

Prayer – Lord, I am asking for Your wisdom—help me, my family, friends and neighbors to make good choices—good decisions that would bring You glory and honor. All wisdom comes from You—and surely You will protect us in the coming days. Food is so important to be pure and useful in our bodies—so guard the sources of our food and our very bodies that You have created. Thank You—for Your love…and the hope we have for each day and the future.

"And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him." Luke 11:9-13

 

Meditate. What is on your plate for your family’s supper tonight?

 

Similar scripture passage recorded in Matthew from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. "You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. Matthew 7:7-11

Ask and you will receive. Don’t be deceived. Ask of the true Father…and He will give you what you need. Note that Jesus said “everything you need.” So, just ask. If He says “No” then so be it…but He could bless you abundantly instead of just the basics. Be ready to be blessed!

So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:31-34

Keep on asking. Continue to seek God and His will for your life. Persistently knock at the door—just as Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart. How will you respond to Him?

 

Verse of Salvation ~ Did God's people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God's offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it. Romans 11:11-12

 

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

Snake or Eel?
For sale at a Portuguese grocery meat counter.
Did you ask for a fish or a snake? 

I’ve never seen a snake in a meat counter in the States, but when we visited Portugal several years ago, we did see one at a grocery store near Lisbon. Eel or snake? They look the same to me. Some people in my family do enjoy eel at Japanese restaurants—in sushi rolls, but I’ll stick to serving real fish at home. Also, be sure that I will provide bread with this stew, not stones. Who would really serve their family a stone for supper? No one, unless you’ve heard of Stone Soup. But that is another story!

 

Favorite Cioppiono – Classic West Coast Seafood Stew

1 green, yellow or orange pepper, chopped

1 medium sized sweet onion, chopped fine

2 cloves garlic, grated

¼ cup olive oil

3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

¼ tsp dried oregano, crushed

½ tsp dried basil, crushed

½ tsp dried rosemary, crushed

1 bay leaf

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

½ cup dry white wine

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 cups water

1 lb white fish (halibut, cod, fresh snapper or bass fillets) cut in 1-inch pieces, remove bones

½ lb shrimp

½ lb fresh clams or mussels in the shell, scrub with a stiff brush (discard any that do not open when cooked)

 

For the broth, in a large stockpot, saute green pepper, onion, and garlic in oil for 5 minutes or until tender. Don’t brown. Add undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, wine, herbs and water. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes to an hour. Soup broth can be made ahead to this point and refrigerated for a couple of days.

 

When ready to prepare the meal, bring the broth to a boil, and then simmer. Add the fish, and simmer 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and clams and simmer an addition five minutes, covered. The shrimp should be pink when they are cooked and the clams open.

 

Serve with sourdough bread and a tossed salad.

 

© 2023 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.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm

 

Books by Mickey M. Hunacek

Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com

 

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