Friday, September 6, 2024

What is Greatest?

Prayer – Lord, You are the greatest! And You’ve pointed out in Paul’s message to the Corinthians that above all else, faith, hope and love remain…and the greatest of these is love. Classic scripture passage. Thank you. Remind me continually that Your love for us was the greatest…and that same love can flow into me and through me to others. What a great plan! The greatest!

And now there remain: faith [abiding trust in God and His promises], hope [confident expectation of eternal salvation], love [unselfish love for others growing out of God's love for me], these three [the choicest graces]; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 AMP

 

Meditate. Consider God’s love.

 

Do you feel and emulate God’s Love?

            God loved His creation…He still does. His loved us…everyone in the world…so much that He gave up His one and only Son as a sacrifice for our sins. That sinful state began when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate of the fruit of the tree He had forbidden. That was the only thing He asked them NOT to do. Couldn’t they have followed His instructions? People all through the ages I’m sure have been wondering the same thing.

So, God had a plan then and we are still under God’s “plan” today. Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth from heaven to be the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of mankind. Blood had to be shed in order for the sin to be removed, for people to be reconciled with God. That blood offering was done repeatedly for years with animals—but it had to be God’s son’s blood to finally wash away that sin. He did it for everyone, but part of God’s plan is that people had to “accept” Jesus’ sacrifice for their own sins. They have to repent of their own sin for the reconciliation to be effective. Everyone has a choice. Repent. Accept Jesus’ sacrifice. Or not. When people accept this resolution as the sin offering part of the plan, God chooses to make those people part of His forever family! The choice is yours and mine. I choose to be sorry…to repent. Now I live day by day seeking and serving Jesus as my Savior, continually thanking God, the Father, for His plan, and allowing God the Holy Spirit to guide my thoughts, words, and actions.

Love—God’s love for each of us and for His Son—is a wonderful and remarkable thing. I am anticipating exciting things to happen as we see God’s plan unfold in our future. Events in the future may be scary—but we don’t have to be afraid. I have to keep reminding myself about that! God is always with us and He keeps His promises. The greatest thing is still LOVE!

 

Verse of Salvation ~ Show us your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation. Psalm 85:7

 

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

Start with storebought or homemade
Yogurt!
Create your own Labneh!
High protein Yogurt Cheese.


Remember a couple of weeks ago I posted a homemade yogurt recipe. There are lots of things you can do with yogurt, besides just eating it plain, like I often do. You can add fruit to it, skipping all the sugar that processed little cups of yogurt often include. You can use it in lots of different recipes, even using it as a substitute for sour cream.

Have you ever had Yogurt Cheese or Labneh? Here’s a recipe I found in a Mediterranean cookbook and on many online sites that turns regular yogurt into Greek yogurt, which becomes Yogurt Cheese. You can combine it with olive oil and herbs, honey and walnuts, or other ingredients to make a tasty dip.

 

Yogurt Cheese

2 cups plain yogurt (not non-fat)

 

Line a mesh strainer with a couple layers of cheesecloth or three basket style coffee filters. Set the strainer over a large bowl or measuring cup, allowing room in the container for about a cup of liquid to drain. Spoon the yogurt into the strainer, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 10 hours or up to two days. Squeeze out any additional liquid. The longer it drains, the thicker your cheese will be.

 

Transfer the yogurt cheese to another container. Discard the liquid, known as whey, or use it like buttermilk. There are a variety of ways to serve this thick yogurt cheese. Your imagination is the limit.

            Roll the cheese into little one-inch balls and store in olive oil until ready to use in a salad, or as a snack or appetizer.

            Swirl olive oil over the top of the yogurt and sprinkle with freshly chopped herbs of your choice. Use to dip with crackers, veggies, or bread.

            Stir in chopped, toasted walnuts and honey for another dip for breads or veggies.

            Stir in chopped fresh dill, a couple of teaspoons grated lemon rind, and season to taste with salt and pepper, before you serve.

Enjoy creating your own unique nourishing, gourmet foods with this high protein yogurt cheese.

 

© 2024 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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