"I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people."~~Psalm 35:18
I bake bread for my family regularly and for me there is great pleasure in this basic task. Everything about it from measuring the ingredients to forming the loaves to tasting that first bite fresh out of the oven is sensory bliss for me. And the bonus is that I am doing something truly good and healthful for those that mean the most to me.Similarly, one of my favorite things about communicating with other believers through this blog medium is that I get to enjoy their offerings to the Lord through the gift of writing He has given to them. Such a simple thing, sharing an experience that means much to one in a way that another is blessed.
I discovered something wonderful during my Bible reading...simple offerings such as these are a sweet aroma to the Father as well. Let me share a passage from my study Bible concerning a beautiful offering the Hebrews practiced:
Minhah. The Hebrew name for the grain or cereal offering simply means "gift." This offering expressed the worshiper's spontaneous gratitude to God. No specific requirements regarding its time and frequency were given. The gift involved the product of a woman's daily activity in the home: flour or baked cakes. Dedication of life expresses itself in the simplicity of everyday activity. This offering also produced a "sweet aroma" to the Lord. ~~The Woman's Study Bible, Thomas Nelson PublishersDone with a servant's heart, every action becomes an offering of gratitude to God. It is not really something one can plan. It is an overflow of the abundant grace the Father has given us through His Son, Jesus. In this way He uses us to bless others.
"Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing." ~~2 Corinthians 2:14-15I am so very thankful for
- all my friends who blog about the Lord.
- the opportunity to serve the Lord through serving my family.
- His patience as I, stumbling along, learn to have a servant's heart.
15 comments:
Patricia, I wanted to thank you for taking time to read & comment at my blog just now. Many read but don't always comment:-) Came here and fell in love with your blog header:-) And what an uplifting post! Thank you for this. I used to bake bread from scratch years ago, so I appreciate the labor of love. I also appreciate your gift of writing. The Lord is good!
blessings,
Vicki
PS--That Scripture (2 Cor.2:14-15) really ministered to me tonight. Thanks again.
Thank you, Vicki. I've read your blogs many times. I have both of them on my "follow" list so I can see when you update. I always enjoy my visits. I'm trying to be more diligent about leaving comments.
P.S. I'm pretty lame at answering emails, too. And I won't say how bad I am at letter writing now.;->
This is a great post. Makes ya' think. I'm humbled as a mom that even baking muffins or bread is an offering both to God and my little family. But at the same time there's that "to whom much is given... much expected thing....
Makes my MotherHubbard/BareCupboard moment a real failure. :-(
I want so much for my SAHM efforts to be aromatic! Great food (pun intended!) for thought.
-es.
May God bless your beautiful servant heart.
Very little compares to the yummy aroma of baking bread....NOTHING compares to the aroma of Christ! Thanks for sharing!
Loved the bread analogy of your thankful heart! It brought back the fond memories of making Challah bread every Friday and praying over my children and husband as I made the bread. I cannot wait to regain my strength and energy to begin this special time in my life again. I've missed it greatly.
Thank you for stopping by my blog...brightened my day!
~Mrs.Cuddles
Thank you so much for visiting with me today! Your comment warmed my heart, and your post here warmed it even more! I love it. Your acts of service and encouragement and inspiration to us are precious in the sight of the Lord!
Thank you so much for sharing the wonderful explaination of your study Bible about offering. Indeed, our life should be a sweet offering to your Lord and Savior in everything we do. I do fall short sometimes though.
Thank you so much for sharing your grateful heart with us.
Be blessed today and always...
"Done with a servant's heart, every action becomes an offering of gratitude to God. It is not really something one can plan. It is an overflow of the abundant grace the Father has given us through His Son, Jesus. In this way He uses us to bless others."
I love that, great post!
PS That bread looks sooooo yummy! :)
Hello Patricia,
I enjoyed your post. The 2 Cor. verse was my memory verse earlier this year. "spontaneous gratitude" I like that!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Bethany
thank you for stopping by my TT post and what a sweet aroma I found when I came by to see what you were giving thanks for! You could come by my house anytime and make us some bread. Bread is a weakness of mine - oh how we should all crave that bread of life! -Thanks for sharing your grateful heart, Blessings.
Thanks for visiting today. I enjoyed visiting your blog. It is a neat thing that we can encourage each other at times through the blogs :)
Patricia, that is some YUMMY looking bread! =-) I also like to bake for my family. (I LOVED how you worked a devotion in.. and how you explained the Hebrew name and meaning)
Well, I won't keep you. I just wanted to pop in and say hello and THANKS for the sweet message you left on my blog. It's always WONDERFUL to meet another "Sister!"
Patricia,
This post was a wonderful affirmation today. Baking bread is one of my favorite things to do and I always think of it and other ordinary home making tasks as serving the Lord through serving my family. Thanks for your sweet words on my TT post too! Maybe some day I'll write the whole story!
Blessings,
Susan
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