Oakwood Church Fresh Start Women's Devotional Encouragement for Today Hartland Delafield

His Perfect Recipe
By Susan Klein

“Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heaven.”
Psalm 119:89

I love to cook! I also like to savor a good cookbook like some people savor a good novel. I will read the whole thing from cover to cover choosing which recipes or bits of kitchen wisdom I want to implement first. I generally look for a recipe that sounds yummy, then, exercise my freedom to alter the ingredients to suit my personal tastes. I usually amp up the spices a bit or replace items I don’t particularly care for. Rarely do I ever follow a recipe word for word. But, when I make bread, or bake a cake, I have to follow the recipe exactly or it won’t turn out. All the ingredients work together in perfect harmony to create the finished product. You can’t change any of it or the recipe won’t come out right!

I find my Christian walk to be quite similar. God has laid out a recipe for my life and has given me the freedom to make certain choices. I can choose where I want to live, the type of music I enjoy, and even what church I want to attend. I can worship quietly, or I can add a little spice to my worship by raising my hands or jumping for joy! I can dress up in my Sunday finest or I can go to church in jeans. I can teach Sunday school or I can serve a meal to the needy. God loves me so much that He wants me to have the freedom to make these kinds of choices in my life.

But, there is one recipe that I cannot change, and that is God’s Word. His Word is perfect, absolute! It cannot be altered in any way. Proverbs tells us that every word of God is flawless and that we are not to add anything to His Words. We are also told by God not to take anything from His Word. If we try to change it in even the tiniest way, we will not receive the glorious riches of His finished product. Many have tried to alter His perfect recipe, only to suffer disastrous results. He is the Author of the recipe, and it doesn’t need adjusting!

As much as I love to cook, I desire to cultivate a deeper relationship with my heavenly Father even more. I am learning to savor His sweet Words more than I savor my cookbooks!

GOING DEEPER:
1. Do you believe that all of God’s Word is true, or do you struggle with some of it? Ask God to give you wisdom and understanding as you read and study His Word.

FURTHER READING:
Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:5-6; Luke 21:33; Revelation 22:18-19

Susan is a wife and mother of two. She leads a small group and teaches for Tuesday a.m. Bible Study.