When life gives you lemons - make lemon curd.

A good friend, many years ago, used to refer to James 1:2 - 4: " Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." My friend, a diminutive blond Dane, would ask, smiling hugely: "So, when the elephant of Circumstances sits on you, what do you produce: sour lemon juice, or sweet orange juice?"

Sweet orange juice was, of course, the preferred answer, the one we all aim for. To be sweet and faithful and loving in spite of desperate circumstances. To bring light and joy. Nothing sour about us, please.

Yet lemons are a truly wonderful fruit. Their strong, tangy scent is, in my opinion, far superior to their more insipid cousins, the plain oranges. I could wax lyrical about the many uses and benefits of lemons, but today, it is lemon curd I want to focus on.

When life gives you lemons, make lemon curd.

Lemon curd* - a delicious preserve made from lemons, sugar, eggs and  butter - makes everything better. I make lemon curd when:

• I feel a little down or discouraged, needing a lift to my spirits.
• I feel the need to be creative in some way - a good way of relaxing
• I want to give a friend a little gift: a tiny jar of lemon curd is always gratefully received.
• I have lemons in the fridge begging to be used up.
• I crave a little sweetness.

Making lemon curd gives me so much and teaches me so many things. I learn to appreciate that:

Injury can release a sweet fragrance into the atmosphere. Today, I grated the rind before I went out to church, leaving the rind and lemons sitting on the counter. On my return, the whole house smelt deliciously of a subtle citrus fragrance. The wounded skin released its scent into the air, permeating every room.

As I gently rasped the skin against the harsh grater, I  thought of how wounds, willingly given to God, are offered up to him as a pleasing sacrifice. The lemon couldn't but help release a delicate, fresh aroma: I longed to be as gentle and generous when circumstances grate on or trouble me.

Creating is a slow process. The making of lemon curd cannot be hurried. Heat the mixture too fast, and the egg will cook on its own, resulting in pieces of egg white marring the consistency. 

Circumstances can change rapidly. Stirring has to be rapid,vigorous, watchful, so that nothing spills over and the mixture does not stick. 

Cooking requires a degree of concentration and watchfulness. Look away for a moment, and the mixture may curdle or boil over. 

Making lemon curd encourages calm. As I stir the curd, giving it my full attention, I feel my spirit calm and quiet down. I focus on the pan, stirring gently, swirling the mixture first this way, then that; round and round, first clockwise, then in the contrary direction. Sometimes I draw figure of eight in the surface with the whisk.  Sometimes, I just stir. And stir. I contemplate. I wait. 

The final product may not be smooth and trouble-free. When I make lemon curd, I like to keep the rind in to give it extra tangyness to counteract the sweetness. The resultant curd may have bits of rind or pulp. It reminds me that even when God works powerfully to bring about good, there may still be - there WILL be - lumps and bumps, but life is sweet, flavoursome and far more precious than a jar of delicious lemon preserves.

I make lemon curd. I lose stress and hurry. I grow patience. I receive peace.

When life gives you lemons, receive them as a gift. Make lemon curd.

*Lemon curd recipe: makes approximately two 340g jars.

Grate the rind of 3 large lemons (or 2 large lemons and 1 small orange) and squeeze the juice.

Add to a small pan with 2 ounces of butter, 3 large eggs and a cup (or slightly less) of white sugar.

Add an extra squeeze of lemon juice from a bottle - about 2 tablespoons.

Stir, with a wire whisk, constantly over medium heat until the mixture starts to thicken. Do not boil.

Pour into sterilized jars, cover, and keep in the fridge.

Waiting - helpful notes

Waiting : Alie Stibbe Day by Day With God 7^th December 2014

Psalm 27                                              Seek His face

I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord: be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Wanting things done quickly – out of a deep-seated sense of insecurity... if everything was ordered, in control and sorted out, then nothing could hurt.  BUT The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear?...  If the Lord makes me wait, it si because he is working on thins ehind the scenes that I don’t need to know about:  BE STRONG: SEEK HIS FACE; WAIT.

Isaiah 40:27 – 31                               Latent strength

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings of eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.

Wait = ‘qavah’ – connations of strength and the tension felt during endurance. A rope has latent strength, not seen until it is used.

Mounting up, running and walking are like the three strands of a rope in action: accessing spiritual power, physical and mental stamina from God.

Psalm 130:1 – 5                                 There is waiting...and waiting  

Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord: Lord, hear my voice...I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.

Wait = ‘qavah’ – endurance through an extended period of soul-felt anguish.

v 5 ‘wait’ = ‘yachal’= hope, wait expectantly, trust... for God, to keep his word and be true to his character.

While we wait/endure in the Lord’s strength, we wait’trust that he will come through for us.

Psalm 130:6 -8                                   As sure as the sunrise

I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning...

Hold on in there and watch in wonder: the darkenss will lighten in God’s good time.

Psalm 33                                              Timely delays

But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope (yachal) is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope (chakah) for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.

Expectant waiting (yachal) needs the added knowledge of how to ‘tarry’ (chakah). To wait for God’s timing.

Psalm 37:1 – 9                                    Waiting in silence

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Wait = damam’ = be still, be silent.  Tarry silently, without grumbling...

Putting our concerns into the Lord’s hands and renewing our hope in him frees us up to live our day with our hearts and minds at rest, so that we can do the tasks that need our immediate attention positively and constructively.

Exodus 14:13 – 14  (at the Red Sea) do not be afraid..stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will brin g you today.. The Lord will fight for you: you need only to be still.

Psalm 38:9 – 16                                 The God who answers

All my longings lie open before you, Lord: my sighing is not hidden from you... Lord, I wait for You: you will answer, lord my God.

Put it all down in a journal...wait in loaded silence for the Lord...wait for his whisper.

Lamentations 3:24 – 33                  What are you waiting for?

I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance: therefore, I will hope in him!” The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.

Are my longings God’s intentions or my own? The human heart is ‘deceitful above all things’ (Jeremiah 17:9)...nothing about the future is certain. The only certainties we have as we await are the promises in God’s word that pertain to his person and character.

When all is stripped away... the Lord is enough. He is sufficient and everything else is secondary.. So when you do not know what you are waiting for, wait for the Lord: he is and has eerything we need. We can be expectant about our future without knowing the details if we seek to stay close to him, and quietly trust that he has everything in hand.

Numbers 9:1 – 14                          Hold your horses

Moses answered them, “Wait until I find out what the Lord commands concerning you.”

Wait = ‘amad’ = physically stand still.  “Stop right there!” – policeman with his hand up!

By waiting, the solution to our indignant complaint becomes clearer and the Lord’s will in the situation can be done.

Joshua 18:1 – 10                             Caught in the headlights

So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the god of your ancestors, has given you?”

Waiting can turn from being a spiritual discipline into an aspect of fear.  The Israelites were frightened to go into the promised land.

The reasons most people fail to take a course of action is fear: fear of failure, fear of being rejected, fear that something might not live up to what we expected, or fear of making the wrong decision.

If we don’t decide to make a move one way or another, like the rabbit sitting in the headlights, we are going to get squashed. It took courage for the spies to go into the promised land and surey what lay ahead.... Is the Lord encouraging you to look ahead and see what he has waiting for you if you had the courage at least to take a look?

Ruth 3                                                 Bottleneck moments

Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens.”

Remember this verse, when part of waiting on the Lord has involved depending on other people to make a decision or do something.

Wait = ‘yashab’ = to sit down, to dwell/have one’s abode.   We need to ‘dwell’, to set up camp in the presence of the Lord...abide in the Lord’s love, not in anxious thoughts.

Psalm 106:1 – 18                               Don’t have a goldfish brain

And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them. They soon forgot his works: they waited not for his counsel: but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness...And (God) gave them their request: but sent leanness into their soul.

We forget... what God has already done and that the Lord kows the plans he has foer us and has promised us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11)

If the Lord calls you to wait, do not hasten to drag the perceived endpoint to the place where you are: the result will almost certainly be leanness of soul or a degree of spiritual death. Tarry instead for the Lord’s blessing.

Isaiah 26:1 – 9                                  Obey while you wait

Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.

While waiting, be obedient: just keep on doing the right thing, one small step at a time, one day at a time.  Stay rested and concentrate – make sure I stay within his ways by doing the right thing while I wait.

Psalm 5                                              Wait deliberately

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice: in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.

Wait = ‘tsaphah’ like  a watchman from a tower, or like a prophet who looks out across time and sees the future as God revewals it to him. Also used of the noble wife who watches over the affairs of her household (Proverbs 31:27)

Meet with the Lord in the morning, not vacantly or routinely but to survey the day with eyes enlightened by his Holy Spirit, so that we can pray, be open to the Lord’s leading and plan effectively.

Intentional waiting prepares us for what the Lord has prepared for us so that everything we do ushers in his kingdom a little bit more.

Suffering, refining, glorifying

"I want to know Christ-yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings." (Philippians 3:10)
Jennie Allen: "So what if the greatest thing you have to give to the world could be hidden in your darkest moments? What if your scars point to a greater story?

Jesus.

Our lives are a breath, and if we are here for just a minute, I'd like my one little breath to feel more like a mighty gust of wind. And that takes surrender. It takes perseverance and not wasting my minutes away on Facebook or on complaining. The apostles ...were happy, because God had considered them worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus." (Acts 5:41).

Hear me. Even though it may seem counterintuitive, it is an honor to suffer. It is a privilege. And we are not to waste it. God wrote suffering into our stories and wants to redeem it for his glory. If we stop shaking our fists at him, we could possibly sit down and see we are running from a life in flames toward a great purpose-one that could never exist without the flames.

Joseph was a brat with a vision. And God was preparing him for that purpose. Joseph would save and lead nations, but first he had to learn who this story was about.

When Joseph first had a vision, he thought that vision was for his own glory. When that vision finally came true and his brothers were bowing before him, Joseph said these words:
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" (Genesis 50:20).

The suffering I may endure is not for me. It is for God's purpose. That may be to refine me, to make me more like Jesus but it is NOT about me. It is about GOD.

Readings from Release, Revive, Repair, Rebuild today are from 2 Corinthians 5:17 - we are - I am - a new creation in Christ.

And again: Isaiah 40:31
"But those who trust the Lord
will find new strength.
They will be strong like eagles
soaring upward on wings;
they will walk and run
without getting tired."

As I study these words, I find myself again drawn to Psalm 103: "The Lord is merciful!
He is kind and patient, and his love never fails."

I love Matthew Henry's commentary: "Where God had begun the work of grace, he will perfect it. He will help those who, in humble dependence on him, help themselves. As the day, so shall the strength be. In the strength of Divine grace their souls shall ascend above the world. They shall run the way of God's commandments cheerfully. Let us watch against unbelief, pride, and self-confidence. If we go forth in our own strength, we shall faint, and utterly fall; but having our hearts and our hopes in heaven, we shall be carried above all difficulties, and be enabled to lay hold of the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus."

As ever: just keep on going. As the old chorus goes:
"Do not worry over what to eat,
what to wear or put on your feet.
Trust and pray, go do your best today,
then leave it in the hands of the Lord.
Leave it in the hands of the Lord."

Refining, restoration, revival

Here we go again. The same Bible passages within 24 hours. Joseph this time.

First, from Max Lucado via Devotionals Daily: the story of Joseph. A story of restoration.

"Initially, Joseph chose not to face his past... He kept family secrets a secret. Untouched and untreated. Joseph was content to leave his past in the past.

But God was not.

Restoration matters to God. The healing of the heart involves the healing of the past. So God shakes things up.
And Max Lucado talks about Joseph's initial reaction to his brothers. Anger. Put in prison. What was going on?
"I think he was trying to get his bearings. This was the toughest challenge of his life. The famine, by comparison, was easy. Mrs. Potiphar he could resist. Pharaoh’s assignments he could manage. But this mixture of hurt and hate that surged when he saw his flesh and blood? Joseph didn’t know what to do.

Maybe you don’t either.

Your family failed you. Your early years were hard ones. The people who should have cared for you didn’t. But, like Joseph, you made the best of it. You’ve made a life for yourself. Even started your own family. You are happy to leave Canaan in the rearview mirror. But God isn’t.

He gives us more than we request by going deeper than we ask. He wants not only your whole heart; he wants your heart whole.

Why? Hurt people hurt people. Think about it. Why do you fly off the handle? Why do you avoid conflict? Why do you seek to please everyone? Might your tendencies have something to do with an unhealed hurt in your heart? God wants to help you for your sake."

From God Will Carry You Through by Max Lucado, copyright Thomas Nelson.
And think: "Maybe God is disrupting the comfortable distance for a great purpose... "

Maybe it is time for restoration.

And a thought from Jennie Allen,  adapted from Restless, reflecting on Joseph's suffering: "With suffering comes a morbid but helpful perspective that life is moving fast and earth is not our home. I used to live afraid my life wasn't going to work out just right. The more I surrender to suffering and joy and whatever God has for me, the more my fear becomes that I won't spend my life well. I can run farther and longer than I could before. I am not despairing; faith is growing."

I'm studying two Bible plans, through the You Version, at the moment: Discover God's Dream for You by Jennie Allen at the same time as Release, Repair, Revive, Rebuild by Brian Houston.

And this is fascinating - a similar theme: he says "To give us a measure of revival in our bondage."
Here in Ezra 9, we see how the measure of revival God's people have received is within the context of their bondage. But this revival has liberated them and given them a purpose. When God gives us a measure of revival, His measure is not in terms of limits or just enough to survive. God's measure is always more than we need and carries with it the means to fulfil our life's calling and purpose.
Charles Spurgeon said, "Revive means to live again, to receive again a life which has almost expired; to rekindle into a flame the vital spark which was nearly extinguished."

When God brings revival into our life, we receive a kind of awakening, a revitalisation. Things that were left for dead suddenly come to life. Like rain on a desert, what was once barren and lifeless begins to overflow with life and promise. In your everyday life, your coming and going, expect revival. It's God's divine touch in your personal world. Revival will lift you above your circumstances, open your heart and fill it with purpose.

What needs to be REVIVED in your life? What is it that is dead and dying, or perhaps held in bondage? Jesus came to breathe LIFE into dry bones, to declare RISE UP to dead things. Maybe it is your passion for the House of God. Perhaps it is love for your husband or your wife. Maybe your hunger and thirst for the Word of God needs REVIVING today. Speak these verses over your life and watch as dead things come to life."

How do we do this? With PATIENCE:
"But those who trust the Lord
will find new strength.
They will be strong like eagles
soaring upward on wings;
they will walk and run
without getting tired"  Isaiah 40:31

Keep on being brave! It will bring you great rewards. Learn to be patient, so you will please God and be given what he has promised. As the Scriptures say, “God is coming soon! It won't be very long. The people God accepts will live because of their faith. But he isn't pleased with anyone who turns back.” We are not like those people who turn back and get destroyed. We will keep on having faith until we are saved. Hebrews 10:35 - 38

And then 'Verse of the Day': "live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own. Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. Try your best to let God's Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace." Ephesians 4:1-3 CEV

If we followed the latter advice, we wouldn't need restoration of broken relationships and revival would be much more likely to happen in our lives.

All this in one day. Phew.

The king, drinking wine at Esther's second banquet, again asks what he can do for her.
A second chance. Why didn't she ask the first time? Too nervous? To keep him guessing, tantalising him as, no doubt, she had been taught to do sexually in the harem?

It has all happened quickly. Very quickly, for a Bible story where, often, events take place over months and years. This is merely DAYS. Mordecai has learned of the edict; goes to see Esther immediately; they fast for three days; Esther goes to see the king and invites him for drinks that same evening; later that night, the king can't sleep; the next morning, Mordecai is honoured; and now they are all back for a second evening banquet.

This is GOOD rush. Mordecai is desperate to save the Jews and the edict needs to go overturned as soon as possible.

So, when we look at what has happened, we can see how Esther, waiting on God, sensed the need to be patient with HER timing, which gave space for Mordecai to be established in the king's opinion as a good and faithful servant.
Philippians 4:6 - 7 shows this truth:
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Good advice for me at the moment, facing a huge life choice....life is also rushing along at breakneck speed. I suspect I need to make sure that I keep up with God...

Esther 7:1 - 2

Intrigued

The king accepts Esther's invitation and commands Haman to go with him.

Haman must have been so pleased: singled out for attention by the king and queen, as was his due. 

"So the king and Haman joined Esther at the dinner she had arranged. As they were drinking the wine, the king said, “Now, what is it you want? Half of my kingdom isn’t too much to ask! Just ask.”

Esther answered, “Here’s what I want. If the king favors me and is pleased to do what I desire and ask, let the king and Haman come again tomorrow to the dinner... Then I’ll give a straight answer to the king’s question.” "

The king has realised that Esther has something important to ask and is still feeling beneficent towards her. Again, he offers her virtually anything she wants.

Yet she doesn't ask. Does her courage fail her, particularly in front of Haman? Or is she deliberately building up the tension, to make the king even more curious and to show him just how important this question is to her?

Surely the matter is urgent. If she succeeds, messengers must go to all parts of the empire to rescind the order to massacre the Jews. If she delays, it could be too late. Still, the delay of one day - particularly in times when the pace of life was laboriously slow - was less important than complete success.

Proverbs 25:11 reminds that "The right word at the right time is like precious gold  set in silver."

Good words are exquisitely beautiful, full of God's grace and love. Not a gift I naturally have - I am more prone to blurt out the wrong thing. Good words benefit not only the hearer, but they add to inner beauty.

Esther builds up the tension. And Haman, in his vanity, only feels pride. Often, I am more like Haman than Esther, but, with God's grace, I do not have to stay that way...

"But in every part of me I discover something fighting against my mind, and it makes me a prisoner of sin that controls everything I do. What a miserable person I am. Who will rescue me from this body that is doomed to die? 25 Thank God! Jesus Christ will rescue me.

So with my mind I serve the Law of God, although my selfish desires make me serve the law of sin." Romans 7:23 - 25

Because "I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back."

Esther 5:6 - 8

Advent. Patience.

Expecting
demands patience.

Hard lessons learned
in the school of life.

Christmas
is but a date

representing
this wonderful gift.

Really, every day
is to be looked for

Christ returns
to claim His people.

And as we wait
patiently, longingly

we remember
that first Christmas

and a Father
separated

from Heaven's prince,
darling of all.

And surely
our father's longing

for His son
is far greater

than we can
only imagine.

Perseverance

I’ve been challenged recently that God is the god of small things that become great in his kingdom. It’s very easy to become discouraged when we don’t see change, or it seems that what we do at work is fine but God doesn’t seem to be in it…Yet God sees things differently and I’ve come to realize the truth of Matthew 10:29:"What's the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head!

Although this passage teaches us that we are so valuable to God, I think it also gives a glimpse of our world as God sees it – EVERYTHING, however small and insignificant, is valuable.

1. And so I think we need to encourage one another to persevere:
Romans 5:1 - 2 Peace and Joy:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a]have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

2. It’s a good thing to persevere: 2 Thessalonians 1:4 – perseverance is praised You need to know, friends, that thanking God over and over for you is not only a pleasure; it's a must. We have to do it. Your faith is growing phenomenally; your love for each other is developing wonderfully. Why, it's only right that we give thanks. We're so proud of you; you're so steady and determined in your faith despite all the hard times that have come down on you. We tell everyone we meet in the churches all about you. The Message

3. We gain eternal life. Romans 2:7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.

4. It’s part of a growth process, a development of our characters: 2 Peter 1:5-7 (New International Version)

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

The Message says:
So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus.

5. We are told to PURSUE endurance or perseverance
1 Timothy 6:10-12 But you, man of God, … pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

6. We need hope to persevere. Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Steadfast hope, the confident expectation of what God is and will do, gives the capacity to endure with joy. Again, the Lord Jesus is our example and the perfect illustration of one whose endurance was connected with joy and the purposes and promises of God. Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus gives us hope. Keeping focused on him can help us persevere at work, through discouragement as others ignore or make fun of us, or we feel isolated as perhaps the only Christians. God is a great god. Jesus was a ‘small thing’ in terms of the whole universe. God is a god of small, but immensely and eternally important, things.