Tag: obedience

Entrée

One Sunday Morning

The Manna Chef

Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest. (Ecclesiastes 11:4 NLT)

Sisters, I want to share a moment I experienced recently to show just how easy it is to try to do the Lord’s will our own way.  Each day, I pray and ask God for the wisdom to make choices that please Him, because my desire really is to please God.  (I felt the need to share that before I describe what happened.)  So, here we go…

One Sunday morning, God spoke to me and told me to call a Manna Sister to share a word from Him.  I looked at the clock and figured, “Well, she’s probably getting ready for church, so I’ll call her when I return from service.”  I continued my morning reading. 

A few minutes later, God spoke to me again and told me to call her.  Once again, I looked at the time and decided that I would text her “thus saith the Lord.”  The Holy Spirit stopped me in my tracks and asked me, “Did I tell you to text her?”

Immediately, I realized that I had heard God’s instruction, but I had not done what He told me to do.  I was so disappointed in myself, especially since I shared at the beginning of this entrée that I pray daily for wisdom to make choices that please the Lord.  I called the Manna Sister at that moment and told her what God had shared with me.  She let out a deep sigh and said, “I needed to hear that.”  

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God Is Your Shield

The Manna Chef

This morning, I read Genesis 15:1b (ESV), “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”  I then looked at Genesis 15:1 (AMP), “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; Your reward [for obedience] shall be very great.”

I took a moment to really think about what it means to have the Lord as my Shield.  First, I thought about the shield of faith (part of the whole armor of God) that is mentioned in Ephesians 6:16 (AMP), “Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”  I have the responsibility to choose to lift up the shield of faith, above all, and that very shield can extinguish what the enemy throws at me.  How many times have felt like the blows were coming from every direction?  Use your shield, Sisters!  Why don’t we choose the armor of God daily when He promises results if we exercise our faith in Him?

Then I looked back at Genesis 15:1, where God told Abram, “You don’t have to be afraid because I am your shield.”  God is your Shield, Sisters.  Think about what that means.  The Lord is your Protector, and He is your ultimate Defense.  He covers you every day.  You need not even respond when others seek to attack your character, your job performance, your reputation, or even your name.  God is your Shield.  And sometimes that protection requires us to be hidden from ordinary observation.  (Read Psalm 91 when you have a moment.)  You don’t need to be afraid of the arrows of the enemy.  As a matter of fact, God can prevent those arrows from even reaching you. 

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Now THAT’S Faith!

The Manna Chef

Today, I was thinking about Jesus’s first miracle—turning water to wine at a wedding.  It must have been some reception since they drank all the wine, right?  In case you need a reminder, here’s the account in John 2:1-9 (NLT).

The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee.  Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration.  The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.”

“Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied.  “My time has not yet come.”

But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”

Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.”  When the jars had been filled, He said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.”  So the servants followed his instructions.

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Pray First

The Manna Chef

How many times has someone asked you to pray, and your initial response was to comfort her first and then pray?  Or maybe she asked for a listening ear and instead you offered unsolicited advice.  I’ll give you a second to think about your answer because it can happen so easily you may not even realize it.

Let me give you an example.  Recently, a dear sister sent me a text message and asked me to pray for her because she was receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and was feeling a little nervous about it.  Immediately, I slipped into “Mama mode,” asking which one and assuring her that she would be okay.  I shared what she could expect and offered genuine words of encouragement.  But that wasn’t what she asked me to do; she asked me to pray.  The Holy Spirit stopped me immediately and said, “Read her message again.” 

And there it was:

“Please pray for me.  I don’t like needles.” 

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Not Another Word

The Manna Chef

Have you ever been so angry with someone that you felt, I mean actually felt, heat rising in your chest? Well, sisters, I have, and I’m going to share something with you today. Clearly, I am a work in progress, but I am learning, and it’s definitely worth sharing with you!

First of all, let’s be clear, being angry is not sin. Don’t let anyone make you feel guilty over being angry. Ephesians 4:26-27 (NKJV) says, “Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.” God does not say, “Don’t get angry.” He did not say that being angry makes you unholy. He said to be angry but don’t let the anger cause you to sin. And then He goes even further to tell you to resolve the issue so that you don’t leave an avenue for the enemy to wreak havoc.

I try to stay in constant communication with the Father because I need Him to direct my very words. I’m so serious, too! I call on Jesus all day long: in the car in the middle of traffic, at work, at home while I’m cooking dinner…You get the picture!

I know that I am gifted with words. Simply put: I love words. I always have. I love how they are used. I love how phrases fit together and how one word can speak volumes. (I was that kid who loved reading the dictionary.) God has groomed me to be very effective in communicating my thoughts into words. But, let me make this clear: that can be problematic sometimes because it can get me into trouble if I really say what I think without seeking the Lord first.

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