Recipe For ‘Ripe’ Living.

Something just doesn’t taste right. Have you ever said that? Perhaps at a restaurant or even at home, you take a bite and it just doesn’t seem to taste just right. Perhaps, like me, you have experienced that. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but something is missing. 

I have been working on my salsa recipe. Every year, I try to scan all of my ripe tomatoes and mix it into a salsa mix to preserve for the year. Recently, after sampling my mixture I said to my wife that something seems to be missing. It didn’t taste right. With ease after she tasted it, she was able to identify exactly what was missing.

I wish it was always that easy. I often don’t know what’s missing.

Borrowed content:
India Bible Society

Today, I want to explore this topic with you. I am calling it a recipe for ripe living. Related to my tomato mix which needs to have ‘ripe’ tomatoes. Fresh from the picking is vital for my salsa mix. Just like any other preserve that uses fresh ingredients, those ingredients are best when they are fully ripe and right off the vine.

In the Psalms, David wrote that we should taste and see the Lord is good. It is echoed in the prophet Jeremiah as well. 

Taste and see that the LORD is good.

Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! (Psalm 34:8

God has a recipe that meets the taste test. Whether it’s a need for joy or patience, or even that of hope, God has a recipe in His “Christ-like Cookbook.” There are many ingredients available to us. Here are just a few examples of where to go to find what you need.

1. The Word of God.

The Bible teaches us that his word is a light unto our path. The Bible tells us what we need to know and is a “must – have” book on every shelf. It is the most popular of all books, and it speaks to every issue of life that we will encounter.

Truth and wisdom comes from the Bible. It’s both a reference book as well as the best selling novel packed with stories of gods relationship with mere humans.

2. The Holy Spirit of God.

The Holy Spirit of God is available to every believer. While God is always reaching out to us yet, it is the believer that can richly benefit from a relationship with God. It is through his spirit that dwells that we can rely upon daily.

It is a wonderful benefit to be in relationship with God, through Christ. We benefit from his presence in several ways, including comfort, ministry of his presence, as well as God‘s power at work within us.

3. The gathering of people in prayer.

The Bible tells us that we are two or three are gathered together in his day. He is in the midst of them. This goes beyond simply fellowship because it includes the power of prayer at work in our world. Sometimes we need prayer, but the world needs prayer always.

I’m reminded that there are groups that gather around food all the time. Fellowship can include food. But fellowship in prayer can also include fasting from food or something else. One of God’s recipes includes prayer.

4. God’s principles for a promised life.

God speaks to us in His presence, but also through principles and promises. What guides your life? Is it the vanity of living or is it transformational because of what you hold as value? What’s sustains our society or even your family? Likely you will discover that there are principles and promises given to us by God.

5. A cluster of ideas.

Finally, I come on this final point that I think is a collection of sorts. There are places in the Bible, where God gives us a recipe for life in one location. It’s perhaps a set of passages in the word of God put together already. All we have to do is make application or take action in our own lives.

Here are a few:

a. The Beatitudes: Matthew 5.

b. The One Another’s: Though scattered about, the versus on “one another” is easy to identify. (A Quick Internet search can put them in one place.) 

c. The Gifts of the holy: 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4.

d. The Fruit of the Holy Spirit: Galatians 5:22-23z

e. The Comfort of The Shepherd: Found in the Psalm 23 is a powerful reminder of God‘s provision and protection.