A WORD FOR TODAY, June 23, 2025
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, June 23, 2025
“Blessed is a person who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord promised to those who love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God,’ for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed. Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin. The sin, when it is full grown, produces death. Don’t be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation nor turning shadow. Of his own will he gave birth to us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God. Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” James 1:12-21, WEB
I don’t often follow recipes. I usually just through ingredients into a pot, sometimes food that is leftover in my refrigerator. I’m pretty good at using ingredients that work together, and the dishes are often delicious. Unfortunately, that type of cooking does not allow for repetition. When I create something that is good, I can’t repeat it because I don’t have a recipe. I do sometimes look for recipes just to get ideas like how long I need to cook something or what temperature to set the oven. I use those recipes as a guideline, not a rule. Some food requires a recipe, especially baked goods because of the science of how different ingredients interact.
I do sometimes find recipes that I want to try which I print for future use. I collect those recipes and pull them out when it is time to plan my Christmas party, picking new food to surprise my friends. The photos of those recipes make the food look delicious, and it is impossible to ignore recipes for cakes that ooze with yummy goodness one pot meals that could satisfy a hungry army.
I once found a recipe that I decided to try immediately. I had everything in the house, so I didn’t have to go to the grocery store. I began after a cursory reading of the recipe. Unfortunately, despite being a professionally produced recipe, the person who published the instructions made a huge mistake. I followed it word for word, even though one step seemed strange. I did it, but the texture seemed all wrong. Later in the recipe it called for an ingredient which was used in the strange step. The doubled amount was not part of the ingredients list. I didn’t think it would matter that much since it was still the same ingredients. Wouldn’t it taste the same? The problem is that the batter never looked quite right. I could not get it to mix well. I added some extra liquid, and it appeared to come together.
The extra liquid made the cake extremely dense, more like fudge. The flavor was good, but it was strange to eat and much too rich. I returned to the website and discovered other home bakers also found the mistake. I fixed the recipe so that the next time it would come out better. I should have been savvy enough to recognize the mistake, but I trusted the source and wondered if there was a reason I didn’t understand. I’m not a professional, just a home cook that likes to experiment and learn from others. I should have stopped as soon as I realized there was something wrong with the instructions, but I thought I could fix it. I was wrong.
Have you ever had one of those moments when you know what you are doing isn’t right? I don’t just mean in the kitchen, but have you ever had an encounter with a neighbor that you realized was not going as it should? Did you think to yourself, “There’s something wrong here, but I’ll just finish this, and I can fix it later?” My cake failed, but I learned something, but what happens when we ruin a friendship by doing something we know we should not do? What happens when we lie; can we really overcome the mistrust that is built? What happens when we get angry and say something without thinking? Can we really overcome the hurt and pain we’ve caused?
We do not always know the effect of the small sins that seem so harmless. Children learn from what they see, feelings are fragile, lies lead to greater lies. This is true in thought, word, and deed. We are reminded to think twice and when something seems wrong, not pushing through with the hope that we can fix it in the end. Which is easier to do: admit we are wrong before we do permanent damage, or destroy something with the arrogant attitude that we can make it better later? God has certainly done all that is necessary to provide us with the forgiveness needed to overcome even the most difficult fractures in our relationships. But remember, that twinge of recognition that you are about to make a mistake is God trying to stop you from doing something you will regret.
A WORD FOR TODAY is posted five days a week – Monday through Friday. The devotional on Wednesday takes a look at the scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday. A WORD FOR TODAY is posted on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Word-for-Today-Devotional/339428839418276. Like the page to receive the devotion through Facebook. For information and to access our archives, visit http://www.awordfortoday.org