by Desiree Bustamante

God’s recipe for our best life in Him.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

I have made pinto beans in my crock-pot. If any of you have cooked beans you know it takes some preparation. First, you need to sort through them to make sure there are no stones or inedible beans. Second, you soak them for quite a while. That helps them become tender when they cook, and remove some indigestible complex sugars. Then the next morning you rinse them well, add spices, a lot of liquid to more than cover the beans, and let them cook for around eight hours in the crock-pot (or simmer several hours on a stove). The finished product becomes creamy and delicious.

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
Philippians 1:6 New Living Translation

Just like these beans, and the various methods to prepare them, God created us uniquely and knows what each one of us needs to become mature Christians. We may need to soak for a long time in His word and endure the heat of trials in life. He spices up our spiritual life with His wisdom to learn who He is and how much He loves us. Through this process we become mature in the knowledge of His word, tenderhearted toward His children, and releasing the fragrance of Christ to those who don’t yet know Him.

Allow Him to take time to prepare you for the life that’s ahead. It’s all worth it when our time on earth is finished, and He welcomes us to feast with Him at heaven’s banquet table.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO