(from my kitchen, this morning…)
I’m feeling a little guilty. Possibly unfaithful. I made a fresh pan of brownies. The guilt doesn’t stem from eating the brownies. I’m not concerned about my diet. No. I ate without shame.
Its the recipe. I tried out a new brownie recipe tonight. For the past eight years, if I’ve made brownies from scratch, its been from the same bookmarked page on Allrecipes.com. Its been a loyal companion. Every time I made these particular brownies they turned out beautiful, dark and rich.
But tonight I needed something new, something different. So, I tried a different website. And these brownies turned out absolutely warm, gooey and delicious. My family loved them. There was not a disappointed palate at the table.
I am a chocolate lover, no doubt. Its not that I have only eaten my brownies and no other chocolate over the years. But my old brownie recipe – its a part of my culinary history. There are memories attached : they have brought me through in a pinch with unexpected company, they have planted smiles on my children’s faces and they have carved out a special place in my heart.
In a similar way I recently found another new friend. There have been many pieces of scripture that have been significant to my spiritual history. But there was a time that one particular verse from Psalms met a very specific need. The first time it spoke to me was in high school.
My sister and I found out two days before the fall semester began that we would not be going to our small christian high school, but rather a large public high school. Due to what seemed like very cruel circumstances, we went from being in classes of 10 or 15 people to classes with populations of 300. It was shocking and for me, almost debilitating. In my fear and frustration, I remember turning to the Lord for something, anything.
As I poured over the Psalms, this is what I found:
“For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.”
For the first time in my young life, Scripture became a guidepost for me. Again and again it encouraged me that I could do what was expected – and God would give me almost super hero type strength to accomplish it. At first, all I could do was cling. Over time it became my mantra and it has held me together through so many difficult situations. I guess you could call it a “life verse.”
Recently I needed more. I was in a new place – confident that God’s will would be done in my life, by His power. But, I needed a new hope in order to continue. It was then that I found something warm and personal. The truth was deep and rich; it brought a new peace knowing that He was with me, that He loved me.
“In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.”
Psalm 33:21-22
I am so thankful that God’s word is living and breathing, given by the Heavenly Father to meet needs, bring comfort and give direction. More than anything I am thankful that He speaks to me when I come to Him. Rather than having just one life verse, I am grateful to have so many life – giving, hope- restoring verses as a part of my own spiritual history.
Thank you Lord for your decadent words of hope in Scripture….
md
originally written April 5, 2010.
daily portion 
