ABCS Weekly Devotion – “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. “ Psalm 34:19
I recall once watching a segment on TV of a pie-making contest. Contestants baked their favorite pie and made it look pristine with delicate designs, scalloped edges and beautiful latticework. Then, they would present their masterpiece to the judges to taste. Talk about a dream job… tasting pies all day long! Think about a time when you had a delicious slice of pie. For me, it was about two years ago. I had to leave town for a couple of days. Upon my return home, I was greeted at the front door with plenty of hugs, kisses and a sweet aroma. Jared, my son who was 11 years old at the time, had baked me an apple pie to celebrate my return. He’s always loved to bake and has made cookies, brownies and cakes many times. However, this was his first pie. I walked into the kitchen and found the pie resting on a cooling rack. It was easy to tell that an 11-year-old had made it. Unlike the beautifully scalloped edges on the pie show, his crust had broken edges and the lattice work was diagonal and misshapen. It was also only on half of the pie because he had run out of dough halfway through making it. Jared served me a slice and waited with a huge smile for the verdict. I was surprised at how delicious the pie turned out, and to this day, I’ve yet to taste anything better. What a wonderful gift it was. Although his did not look like the ones made by professionals, it held so much value.
The Bible shares stories about lives that remind me of Jared’s pie. We see it in the story of Leah, who most of her life, felt unloved. And we see it in Peter, who despite walking by the Lord’s side, denied Christ three times. And we see it in the woman at the well who was probably the talk of the town. Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Rest assured that God is close to you. When you offer your life to God, regardless of its condition, it is a sweet aroma to Him. He will not leave you where you are. Let God be the one to grow your character or mend your life’s broken pieces. Did you know that Jesus came from the bloodline of Leah? She who was seeking love gave way to Love itself. And what about the woman at the well? She became the first evangelist in her community by telling others what Jesus revealed to her. And Peter was told by the Lord, “… you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church…” (Matthew 16:18a)
Is your life somewhat like theirs? Broken, like Leah? Or feeling exposed, like the woman at the well? Or needing mending, like Peter? Or maybe you know someone whose life is similar. You will surely come across someone who is hurting by working at this ministry. Know that you have the answer they need – the answer that hope and love are found in God. Give birth to love like Leah, be the church like Peter and evangelize to the world like the woman at the well.
I’m hopeful that Jared’s baking will get better as time goes on, but as I think about his scalloped edges… well, I’ll just leave those to God.
Written by Bibi Najera- Ministry Support Specialist