Faith With Effort
Perfect Pudding
Faith? We all know the scripture,"
Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof [evidence] of what is not seen." [Hebrews 11:1] That defines what faith is, faith is us placing our hope and life into a Being [GOD] and living out our daily lives which is the evidence of our God at Work. Because Faith by itself is not seen by the natural eye. Our Lives is a living testimony and reflection to the world of a Living God and Him working through us. The way we live out our faith becomes the evidence of an unseen God. The Proof is in the pudding, the ingredients come together to make good pudding, or not. You can tell it is good by its texture and taste, right? No one likes lumpy pudding! The ingredients must be just right! Our testimony should bring Glory to God, by the ingredients we purposely put into action in our hearts and lives. Even though, The Holy Spirit knocked on your hearts door and revealed God's Great Love and Mercy to You, You had to take the next required action to recieve it. Right? Well, living out our faith on a daily basis is a combination of actions that produces the evidence of our Living God! And He living in Us. Perfect pudding don't come together by itself just sitting there. IT's a process, and so is our Faith, it takes cognitive and heart effort on our part to work out our Faith until that day in all areas, it comes together to bring the altermate Glory to God, and we find ourselves walking in a new way that our confidence in God is a way of life for us. It becomes more apart of our nature for us to walk in true Faith after time invested of working out our faith.
The Ingredients for Perfect Pudding
Ingredients
1/3 cup white sugar
(Our Salvation, introduction to Jesus and new life in Him)
6 tablespoons flour
(Sanctification, The Trials and Tribulations)
1/4 teaspoon salt
(The Work of God's Holy Spirt in and through us and with us)
2 1/2 cups milk
(The Word)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
(Our Testimony bringing sweet Savor to our Lord)
Directions
In a 2 quart saucepan, combine sugar, flour, and salt. Slowly stir in milk. Bring to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture thickens. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Stir in vanilla.
Pour hot pudding into dessert glasses or molds that have been rinsed in cold water. Chill until firm. Unmold if desired. Serve. Or do as my mom, and serve warm.
Now this is a real recipe for those who are wondering. Most people are thinking "I thought you just added milk to the powder in the box!" Well, you can, but if you want real pudding like Moma used to make when we were kids, you make it from scratch with Love and much effort. Pudding was always an event at our house growing up. Moma would usually surprise us cause she knew what joy it brought us to have herhomemade Chocolate pudding! And once one kid found out she was making her much loved pudding, the shouts rang out throughout our home. " Moma's making pudding!"
And you could see a little smile cross her face. It brought her Joy to please us and excite us over the little things, like her perfect pudding. Mom would take her time with each step of the recipe, she hated lumpy pudding, it had to be creamy and warm to suit her expectations and ours! Of course we were kids we would of eaten it lumpy. But our Mom took pride in making it just right for her kids. Every ingredient being it's best that she could afford, and slowly adding each one enjoying the process, and completing the process at its perfection. Then serving up the sweet pudding in special desert pudding bowls she earned through selling Tupperware.
Then there was a special place for us all to eat too! We would gather around in the front yard on our little slab of concrete, we called our porch and talk and savor ourpudding. Every bite was delightfully sweet. The smell tantalizing our senses, and the warm bowl sitting in our little hands had a straight connection to our hearts. If she made it at night, we all sat around the coffee table in front of the television as if we were having a picnic. It was an event, not just a dessert. Mom delighted in seeing our smiles and tummys full. We delighted in cleaning out the bowls and asking for more not realizing at the time the effort that went into the whole process of making it!
Now, you are thinking by now, what does this have to do with our Faith with Effort topic, well, God provides all the ingredients for us to apply effort in our Faith to be pleasing to Him for the Gospel of Christ. The Word tells us Faith without Works is Dead. We should be motivated by Love to press on in Faith, and make that Cognitive effort to Glorify God in all we do. Even making pudding for loved ones. Moma put her best in serving us. We should put our best in Serving God. And When we are faced with Difficult times, We must make that Active Effort in Faith To push through, applying God's word where we need too, Praying without ceasing and Worshiping Him, our Lord God, in Truth and Spirit. And When we are able to apply effort in Faith, we are even able to enter into the Throne Room of Grace with boldness! With Joy and With Peace. When we have Peace and confidence in God in all situations, well thats when we can see that the proof is in the pudding!
I am sorry if you hungry by now for pudding, and I don't blame you if you go make some! I think I would too. lol.
Love in Christ; Angel
