What's the Recipe?

My eldest daughter, Helena, has discovered baking. She loves it. And in fact she seems to be good at it. That warm blueberry muffin cake a few days ago was phenomenal. So she wants more recipes. "Daddy, what's the recipe for this?" Or, "What's the recipe for that?"

My wife and I want to know what the recipe for getting out of this mess is. Last night we talked about it at length.

Trying to be a good husband, I prayerfully considered my first response and timidly tossed out, "Do you have any unforgiveness? The Bible says that if we stand before God praying and realize we are not at right relationship with someone, Mat 5:24 NKJV - leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Fortunately she took the question well and we went through the list of friends and family members with whom we might be angry or disappointed.

Then Debbie suggested, "What else does God want from us? I think we're about as broken as can be!" She said this because God's pattern is that He wants us completely dependent on Him and not on ourselves or our possessions. So we we talked about being broken for awhile.

We talked about a number of good Biblical approaches to why God has not answered our prayers yet. And they were all backed by Scripture. But there was no one recipe for us to point to and say, "There now! Slide the turkies into the oven because we are done!"

And yet, I still have faith. But now I know whose faith that is. Fourteen days ago I was at the men's retreat on my knees sobbing before God during worship. And all of a sudden my tears were interspersed with laughter. I'm talking gut-wrenching tears and belly-joyful laughing all at the same time. It was the strangest experience.

It was because God gave me a verse in that moment: Hbr 12:2 NKJV - looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For the first time ever I realized what it meant that Jesus is "the author and finisher of our faith."

That blew me away! God let me know unequivocably that He not only authored my faith and led me to Himself in 1984, but He is FINISHING my faith as well in these trials! There is no part of "Jacks Faith" in me that is worth a cent. It is Jesus' faith that is beginning to work itself to perfection in me. That's incredible news!

And what is the result of this? Phl 4:6 NKJV - Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

HIS faith produces HIS peace and I get to have it!

So what is the recipe for getting this delicious dish? Part of it seems to be to start with [Luk 10:27 NKJV] - "'...love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.' " Then add a pinch of humility because [Psa 147:6 NKJV] - The LORD lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground? And don't forget adding the dash of repentence because [2Ch 7:14 NKJV] - if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land?

But those are only a few ingredients. The full recipe is found throughout the pages of the Bible and there are many, many ingredients more.

I don't know what the full recipe is for us and I certainly don't know what it is for you. All I know is that by some act of grace, God has seen fit to give me a taste of the final dish which is a measure of completion in Him.

I encourage all of you to seek God on your knees and in your hearts to ask for the same gift.

It is a dish that is savored beyond all others.

Chef Jack