Day #16 A Recipe for a Savior

RUINED RECIPE

Day # 16

Jeremiah 31:15 Thus says the Lord, “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children.

            There is nothing worse than ruining a recipe, especially when you have carefully planned the timing of the needed recipes. You mix and bake the cookie recipe on day one, planning on day two to prepare the 2^nd and 3^rd recipes so that you will have them all done on time. You plan to be done in time for the family party. Then it happens. The yeast for the rolls don’t rise. A whole batch of cookies are burned up. You add to much lemon extract when you should have added vanilla extract. “No!” you cry. “I don’t have time for this. I had it all planned out.” It is ruined.

            With A Recipe for a Savior that is what happens at the birth of the Savior. Just when the time was right, the recipe had been brought together and it seemed to be going according to plan. Then King Herod steps into the mix. (Read Matthew 2:1-2, 16-18 for a full recounting of what took place.) Satan knew that God had planned every detail of A Recipe for a Savior together in just the right way and so he did all he could to thwart God’s plans. He tempted King Herod to see the newborn child as a threat to him and his kingdom. He tried to destroy A Recipe for a Savior. He sent his soldiers and the cry of “No!” went up from Bethlehem.

            In our lives we find that Satan tries to destroy the Lord’s recipe for our life. He tries to use the situation of the day to cause us to cry out with doubt. It seems to work that way. We are given assurance from the Lord that He does have things under control but we struggle with that thought when we are in the middle of the situation that seems to ruin the recipe of life. Take note that already through the prophet Jeremiah, nearly 600 years before the fact, that the Lord said this would take place. He had knew of Herod’s tantrum and the resulting cries of the people of Bethlehem into A Recipe for a Savior. The Lord is still the Lord who is in charge. We are challenged to trust Him (remember the ingredient of faith) as things come together.

            We know that the Christ-child made it safely out of Bethlehem. That didn’t stop the cries from going up. We know that the Lord’s recipe for our life works out even in the middle of those events which cause us to cry out in pain. Yes, it seemed like a ruined recipe but it was not.

Prayer: Dear Lord, it is difficult to see that You are in control, especially when life seems to be ruined. Help us to keep our eyes focused on the Savior, crying out to Him in times of great turmoil. Amen.

Deeper Thought: Think of a time when you cried out because you were sure that the recipe of your life had been ruined. How has the Lord worked in that situation to take a ruined situation and worked it out for better in your life?