What can God do with a pinto bean?

It is the day before Thanksgiving, and I am busy in the kitchen preparing food. Since family is arriving on Wednesday night, I decided to fix pinto beans as part of the dinner meal. As I was preparing the pinto beans to be cooked, God began to speak to me about these pinto beans. Isn’t that an odd topic, I thought but as God began to share with me, I could see clearly how we are all like these pinto beans. Just as I had a purpose to prepare these beans that my family would enjoy, God has a purpose in mind as well for each of us. He also has a family and He is preparing for the final supper. If we use the analogy of the pinto bean, God’s purpose begins before we even come home with our bag of beans. The beans are processed, packaged and sent to different stores and placed on the shelves. We are also processed or born in different areas of the country, grow up and are sent to different parts of the country. Each bag of pinto beans has a purpose. They will end up in different homes and enjoyed by different people. We, too, have a purpose. We will end up in different towns and our purpose is for God to use us and affect the lives of different people.



As I opened the bag of pinto beans, I put them in the colander and ran water over the beans to wash off the impurities, The Lord began to show me how Jesus himself opens the bag and places each of us in the colander and runs His blood over us to cleanse us from our impurities and sins. The next step to preparing my beans is the process of handling each bean with care and sifting the good beans from the ruined beans. We all know that one ruined bean can ruin the taste of all the beans and it is important for us to remove them. Jesus uses the same process as He handles each of us with care and He sifts the good from the bad. As I threw away the beans that were bad, I was reminded how Jesus will throw ones that do not know Him in the lake of fire.



Now we all know that when we put the good beans in a pot, we pour water over them and cook them slowly. This process changes the form of the bean from a hard-shelled bean to a soft chewable bean with flavor that can be eaten and provide nourishment to those who will come later to enjoy the meal and partake of the bean. The same applies to our lives. Jesus pours out his Holy Spirit over us and allows His Spirit to penetrate us to remove the hard shell in our lives and replace it with a spirit that Jesus can mold and use for His purpose. There are times that Jesus places us (hard-shelled people) into the boiling water. He knows as He watches over us that even though times may be tough and the water becomes hot, that we will come out of our situation, no longer cold and hard-shelled that has no flavor and cannot be used but one that has warmth and a soft shell and has a new flavor and can be used by Him. He wants all of us to change from the hard, sin-filled person into a soft, flavorful person. We have been through the boiling fire so that God can use us to flavor the life of someone else that will come later to enjoy what God has provided for them.



Just as I added salt and other seasonings to the pot of beans to bring out added flavor, God does the same for us. He adds salt to our life that we may be the salt of the earth where we can add flavor to others around us. He sprinkles both blessings and trials to mold us into the people He can use to provide nourishment to a dying world. Sometimes our life is like a bowl of hot boiling water but we must realize that Jesus is constantly watching over us and will not “overcook” us or allow us to “burn” but takes us out at the perfect time so He can use us.



Just as God purposely created the pinto bean to bring nourishment to others, He also purposely created us to bring spiritual nourishment to others. So, what can God with a pinto bean? He can create it, process it, place it where it is needed, change it and use it for His glory. May He do the same for us.

"I Am Willing"

Mark 1:40,41 - A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean."  Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!"

As I read this passage, I can't help but be filled with awe as I read Jesus's response. "I am willing"  When we bring our unclean lives to Him, He is "willing" to forgive us and make us clean!!  When we ask God to help give us strength to face hard times so often we hear Jesus speak... "I am willing" and then He gives us exactly what we need to help us at that very moment.  How many times has Jesus been "willing" to provide for my needs when I come before Him and ask Him?  More times that I can recount!!   You also see that Jesus was filled with compassion and reached out His hand to the man and touched him.  Jesus is so full of compassion that He reaches for us at times that we may be unclean or need a special touch from Him.  He is always "willing" to provide for our needs.   I am so thankful the Lord has been willing to forgive, cleanse my heart and provide for my needs. 

But then as I look at this scripture, I wonder... How many times have I been "willing" to do what Jesus asks?  Ashamedly I have to say not many.  May I learn to be "willing" to serve Him when He asks.  May I be willing to come before Him and receive His forgiveness and receive His salvation so that I, in turn, can be "willing" to show forgiveness and show His salvation to others.

What Does the Lord Require of You?

What does the Lord require of you?  In Micah 6:8 " He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God"

Looking at this scripture, there are 3 things the Lord requires:

1. Act Justly
2. Love Mercy
3. Walk Humbly

As I looked at this scripture, I decided to look at the definitions of each word to hopefully help me determine what the Lord wants from me.  Below are the definitions of these words:  

Act is the process of doing (action word)
Justly  means honorable and fair in ones' dealings and actions.  Consistent with what is morally right.

Love is expression of one's affection, feeling of intense desire
Mercy is to be kind and forgiving - compassionate treatment

Walk is to conduct oneself or behave in a particular manner
Humbly is to be meek or modest in spirit.  Marked by meekness or modesty in behavior, attitude or spirit; not arrogant or prideful


So as we look at the definitions and dissect what the Lord requires of us, we find that He wants us to:

1.  ACT JUSTLY
Be actively consistent in doing what is morally right.

2.  LOVE MERCY
Have an intense desire to show kindness and be forgiving.

3.  WALK HUMBLY
Behave or conduct oneself in modest spirit with meekness. 

May we ask ourselves this question every day when we make all our decisions.  What does the Lord require of me in this situation?  Can I "act justly" if I do this?  Am I showing love and mercy to those around me?  Especially those that hurt me.  Will this decision help me to walk humbly before the Lord or is this decision based on my pride or my self desires? 

May the Lord help us to be ever mindful everyday of this question.  What does the Lord require of me?  May we daily walk humbly before Him and show kindness and forgiveness.

Restricted Area

Interesting how an elevator ride can bring about God's truths in our hearts. I had a doctor appointment in a building with 5 floors. As I rushed in the building and entered the elevator, a nice lady held the elevator door open for me. Each of us pressed the button to the floor we wanted to go. As we waited in the elevator, the elevator stopped on the number 3 and just stalled. We were wondering why the elevator door did not open. We kept waiting. Then I saw in big red letters "RESTRICTED AREA". We kept waiting and waiting and still the doors would not open. After a few minutes, we both wondered if we were stuck in the elevator and what to do next. However, after a few more minutes, the elevator proceeded to take us back to the first floor. We exited the elevator, consulted the directory where the lady said, they do not have a fourth floor listed and that is the button I pressed. So we both returned to the elevator and pressed the 5th floor button. At last, the elevator ascended to the fifth floor. As we were going to the 5th floor, the lady and I talked about how nice it was not to have been on the elevator alone when it stalled earlier. As the elevator doors opened, we both exited and went about to our destinations. As I reflected on this event, God began to teach me some truths about this experience.

We all hurriedly go about our lives and go about our plans. We get on the "elevator of life" and press the button because we think we know where we are going and how to get there. However, there are times where we want to go or where we think we want to go is not where God wants us to go. When those times happen, God closes the doors and they will not open. We are stalled. We receive the "Restricted Area" from God. It is at those times, that God takes us back to the beginning, back to the directory so we can consult him and determine the path Hewants us to take. Once He has given us clear direction on the path He wants us on, then we can get back on the "elevator of life" and proceed to the place He wants us to be. Then He opens the doors at the appropriate time and place where we can proceed to His destination for us.

Just as in the elevator experience, the lady and I expressed how thankful we were that we were not alone on the elevator. God also teaches us that we are not alone when we take our "elevator of life" journey. He is always there. He is there when we face the "restricted areas" of our lives and He is there when He opens the doors for us to proceed to our destination He has prepared for us.

How do we handle situations when apparently the doors are closed? When we come across "restricted areas" in our lives, where do we go? Do we proceed on our own or do we go back to the Lord and get His guidance and direction?

May God direct your paths today as you look to Him for direction and as you enter your "elevator of life" journey.