Prayer
– Lord, open my ears to hear Your word speaking to me and give me understanding.
Then help me not to forget what I hear, but to be obedient and do what You say!
But
don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are
only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is
like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget
what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets
you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God
will bless you for doing it. James
1:22-25
Meditate.
Read God’s word and listen to what He is saying.
Listen? Are you listening to God’s word? Are you hearing what He says?
Listen and obey. How many times are
we told that in the Bible? Actually—lots of times. In the New Living Translation
(NLT) the combination of listen and obey can be found in 22 different verses. How
many times do we need to be told something before we actually do it? Is it
motivating to you to know that God will bless you for doing it? Did you respond
to your parents’ commands or directions quickly—or did they have to repeat
themselves several times before you were obedient? Job’s friend, Elihu, spoke
about listening and obeying God.
If they listen and obey God, they
will be blessed with prosperity throughout their lives. All their years will be
pleasant. But if they refuse to listen to him, they will be killed by the sword
and die from lack of understanding. Job
36:11-12
Listening
and obeying God is repeated imperatively throughout the Old and New Testaments.
So does knowing that God has a reward or a punishment encourage you to be more
obedient? For me…I’d rather go for a reward. I prefer reward to punishment…and
that is how I preferred to discipline my children, although spankings were useful
at some points of rebellious behavior. “Spare the rod…and spoil the child.” I
did listen obediently to God on that one.
Will you choose to live or die? To
live is to seek God and obediently obey Him. To do otherwise, is to choose
death…as a result of a lack of understanding. In the days ahead, we will need
to trust the Lord. His wisdom. We need to trust in the Lord with all our
hearts, and lean not on our own understanding—but in all our ways acknowledge
Him…and trust that He will direct our paths.
Never let loyalty and kindness
leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your
heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a
good reputation. Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your
own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path
to take. Proverbs
3:3-6
Listen—trust—obey.
Are you listening to God, trusting Him, and obeying Him?
Verses
of Salvation ~ 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
Friday’s
Feast at the King’s Table
Winter is
on its way. The leaves on the trees have not only changed colors…but have blown
away! Yup—winter is on its way—but we may have a freakish warm day or two still.
Weather is so fickle. For now, it is time to get out the soup recipes and start
cooking! We have a Ukrainian Pastor visiting our church this Sunday…and a soup
that is thought to originate in that part of the world is Borscht Soup or Borsch
Soup. Yes. A soup made from beets that can be served hot or cold—depending on
the weather. Note that beets are good for the liver and circulatory system, but
are high in oxalic acid, which is known to cause kidney stones. I’ve been
avoiding beets for a year now…but my mouth is watering just thinking about this
soup! Enjoy it for me.
Borscht Soup for 4-6 people
6
cups beef broth or if you prefer, use vegetable broth
(Note
if making your own beef broth, you may include the cooked meat in the soup.)
1½ lb beets, cooked (roots, not tops) or canned shredded
2
Tbsp EVOO – olive oil
½
lb shredded cabbage
4
carrots, finely chopped
1
medium sized onion, minced
2
cloves garlic, grated
1
large potato, chopped
¼
tsp allspice
Salt
and pepper, to taste
¼
cup fresh chopped dill, or 2 Tbsp dried dill
¼
cup lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
Sour
cream for garnish
Heat
olive oil in a large sauce pan. Add onions, garlic, carrots, potatoes, cabbage,
and then the beets. Stir until vegetables are soft. Add allspice and broth.
Bring to a boil. Add dill and lemon juice or vinegar. Add salt and pepper to
taste. Remove from heat and ladle into bowls. Serve with a dollop of sour cream,
and an additional sprinkle of dill, if desired. If serving cold, this soup can
be prepared a day or two ahead of time. Serve immediately, if a hot soup is
preferred. Enjoy with a slice of crusty fresh bread.
© 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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