By Grace I share this with you today. I invite you to open another browser to listen to
My Portion and My Strength – Ellie Holcomb
as you read this message of God’s love that is for us!
Good morning to you on this glorious day that the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it! Life with God is wonderful –like the warmth that accompanies in our soul with smell of a cake baking in a loving family’s kitchen. Yet, sometimes in our kitchen we can burn things –and the smell lingers. Sometimes in life, we can mess up. No matter what the food, burnt food is tuff to clean up, but even the aroma will eventually fade away! And, in this life on earth, Jesus said, no matter what the sin –He’s covered it; if we will just believe and call on His Name. Jesus will also help us clean up. This morning, I woke up remembering when my son was learning to bake; and I believe this is a good time to share this story.
My son was in 2nd or 3rd grade when he was learning how to bake a cake by himself. We had taught him and helped him several times, and now he was ready to spread his wings and fly! Daniel wanted to do it all by himself this time. I said, okay, but when it becomes time to put the cake in the oven, just ask for help.
Daniel did a wonderful job at reading the directions, opening the mix, cracking the eggs, adding and mixing all of the ingredients together. He was even attentive to keeping the beaters in the mix as not to spatter cake batter all over the walls! Yet, instead of following my protective instructions to ask for help, he attempted to put the cake into the hot oven by himself. It spilled!
The pan got away from Daniel, and entire cake mix dumped out of the baking pan –and literally became a cake spilled into the oven! The batter ran down the inside of the oven door and in the oven. Very little was left in the pan itself, yet we were able to later use for good and bake a cupcake or two. But 1st the mess had to be addressed! Daniel called for help; and I come running to meet his need right where he was.
This is how God responds to his children, when we mess up in this life on earth as we are being prepared for Heaven. He allows us to make mistakes as we are learning; and he expects us to wash our hands and clean up our mess –but God is also willing to help us and teach us through our mess.
Although, I was not happy to see the mess, I was glad to help our son. And, through the mess, this also become a demonstration of how God works all things together for the good of those who love Him; according to the purpose in which we are called, which is to be sanctified in the love of God, in the image in which we are made, as we are being transformed in the likeness of Jesus. Daniel and I took our time together; and we cleaned and cleaned and cleaned. I had his attention, so the Lord enabled me to teach him about our life with God as we step by step cleaned up this mess together. This is how God will help us clean up our life.
1st we literally scooped the batter out from the bottom of the hot oven. Then, we wiped with the use of a dish rag the oven door again and again to get the thick batter off. As we continued to clean up the mess well –we wiped again and again even to the point to get the smears clean –and then the hard part was the getting the baked on batter out of the deep seams in the oven’s door. The batter had flowed into cracks that was hard to clean, but as we cleaned, it was a demonstration of how God helps us clean up sin out of our life and how God softens a hard heart to respond to His love and helping hand. Swipe by swipe, God, our Father helps us much in the same way; as swipe by swipe my son and I cleaned this kitchen spill.
As frustrating as it could have been to find the mess in the kitchen that could have been avoided by simply following directions; and obeying my instructions to wait and ask for help; the love in my heart couldn’t be mad when I saw the look on my son’s face who knew what happened and why. Now, he just needed to understand the power of love; and the need we all have for a helping hand. In some ways, this was a beginning to understanding the power in taking responsibility in the power of love. Sometimes we all make messes –and whether big or small, God offers the same faithful love. I believe in this life, God is teaching us that we have to come to that place that we understand that it is a strength / not a weakness to know we can depend on God’s guiding and helping hand. In human nature, we have to come to the end of our self to discover the beginning of God’s life living in us.
The point is –in God’s eyes, there is no shame in our mistakes, when we come to God with our convicted face looking up to His; admitting, confessing and asking what to do to clean up our mess. God will help us with anything, but He operates in His Kingdom –much like I would like my kitchen to be respected. Clean hearts enter in the Kingdom through believing in the love that God has sent to us though His Son. This is not our own doing, this is a gift of God. On this earth, we are being made holy –and Jesus is teaching us by His Spirit. Jesus has made us worthy to come as we are –yet, he will teach us the only way that is right in God’s eyes. Righteousness is credited to us through our faith –just as Daniel is God’s gift to our family as our son, we are invited to be in the family of God.
My kitchen is a temporary place –God’s Kingdom is eternal, but clean hands are expected to enter my kitchen. You can pass through, but if you want to participate, wash your hands. Then, come and enjoy baking in my kitchen all your heart desires!
God’s love far exceeds a human’s understanding! Thank God, Jesus will dine with us –even before we are all completely cleaned up! Not even the disciples were perfect, but they were growing in their knowledge and understanding. We are being sanctified minute by minute and day by day by God’s good grace. God is patient with us as we are being cleaned up from our “want to sin” sinful nature and our “I didn’t know God has a problem with this” sinful nature … –Step by step, like cleaning up that cake batter, we are being made holy by grace alone.
We are being taught by love and learning by love the value in love! God is love –we can abide in love and God abides in us! We can come to Jesus and ask for help both before, and when we get in over our head –and Love shows up to give a helping hand. God is love –we can abide in love and God abides in us.
Thank God that He loves us and treasures us so much that Jesus died for us when we were still sinners –God saw us as a treasure in the world! Jesus has made our way to Heaven for us.
I am reading a book called “Spark, by John Ratey” for my own reasons, but perhaps something he said fits well here in the society that we are being conditioned to live in this world. Perhaps you will be blessed as you read the introduction of this book. We are created to move!
The Bible tells us what is good for us and how to succeed in this life. I believe you can make a difference in your life by simply applying God’s Word to your life –according to your faith! Watch God show up with a helping hand, when you endure hard work with your upmost integrity pleasing God in all you strive to do that is pleasing to God! May God bless you as His highly favored child that He sees when He looks down from Heaven and sees your heart baking that cake; and when He looks into your heart and sees the face of His child call out for His help. We can’t do it alone! Yet, we don’t have to! God will lend a helping hand by His grace and sufficiency –because of a Father’s Love.
I hope this is a blessing to someone to know how much God loves you –despite the mistakes you may have made! Jesus wants to dine with you –will you invite him in your heart and ask Him to teach you how to live in this life you have been given for a purpose.
Hope in Today Ministries, Inc. gifts Bibles to those who can’t afford, because God’s Word will teach us how to survive in this world after the miracle through Jesus.
Our God is greater and awesome in power!
Today’s Word of the Lord
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.” Psalms 1:1
I believe these writings pertain:
Open your Window to God’s Grace, by Karen Rowe August 31, 2015
Conditioned for a Response -How will you Respond? By, Karen Rowe 11Sept2015
A Father’s Love, by Karen Rowe 15July2015
Grace and Peace be with you from God the Father and from the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit and in the unity in believing and applying the power of the living and written Word.
Love in Christ,
Karen Rowe
