The wicked one in the pride of his countenance will not seek, inquire for, and yearn for God; all his thoughts are that there is no God...

Psalm 10:4 - the Amplified Bible.

This morning I was reading from Romans 1 and came across a startling realization that perhaps would be quite obvious to most. Romans 1:29-32 says this,

"They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them."

What struck me so profoundly though this morning was the why...

"And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done." (verse 28).

Seemingly obvious, I know, but God reveals things to some of us more slowly because we are...well...we have a lot for Him to work on and He's gracious enough to go in stages :) Anyways, I was blown away by the thought that the wickedness in me that I so much wish would be gone is often because I am not acknowledging God. If people think there is no reason to acknowledge God even if He does exist, hopefully that verse will show them there is! The results of refusal are disgusting!

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines acknowledge like this:

1: to recognize the rights, authority, or status of
2: to disclose knowledge of or agreement with
3 a: to express gratitude or obligation for <acknowledge a gift> b: to take notice of acknowledge my greeting> c: to make known the receipt of <acknowledge a letter>4: to recognize as genuine or valid <acknowledge a debt>

In the monotony of my day I often disconnect from God. He never leaves me, but I so often fail to recognize His presence and authority. I so often choose my own way and so I am overcome by the evilness in myself that He has already saved me from.

Thanks be to God for His grace to me as so eloquently put in Titus 3:

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone."

I am so glad that He uses His Word to impart grace upon grace to us and even if we have read it for years and years, He still reveals new things to us in the years and years to come.

Remind me to acknowledge Him. :) This is my reminder to you. And if you have never acknowledged Him at all, my prayer is that His kindness and love would be revealed to you today so that you too would be saved out of His mercy from the wickedness that lies in us all.

Joyful Recommendations: Crockpots

I love the crockpot because I can throw the ingredients in and then walla - our dinner is ready in the evening with little prep!

Here are some of our favorite crock pot recipes as promised:

Spicy Turkey Chili (allrecipes.com)

2 (5 ounce) cans turkey meat, drained (I get fresh turkey from the deli and cut it up or cook & use ground turkey)
2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Italian-style stewed tomatoes
2 (1.25 ounce) pkgs chili seasoning mix
1 (4 ounce) can green chile peppers
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 onion, diced
1 cup water

Directions:

1. In a slow cooker, combine turkey, beans, tomatoes, chili seasoning, chile peppers, tomato sauce, onion and water. Cook on low 3 to 4 hours. Serve hot.

Rich & Tasty Beef Roast (Reita F. Yoder in Fix-It & Forget-It Recipes)

10 3/4 oz can cream of mushroom soup
3-5lb beef roast
oil
1 pkg. dry onion soup

1. Spread mushroom soup in bottom of slow cooker.
2. Sear roast on all sides in oil in hot skillet. Add to slow cooker.
3. Sprinkle meat with dry onion soup mix.
4. Cook on high 5-6 hours.

Serves 6-8

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Italian (Sherri Grindle in Fix-It & Forget-It Recipes)

8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 pkg. dry Italian salad dressing mix
1/4 cup water
8-oz pkg. cream cheese, softened
10 3/4 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
4-oz. can mushrooms, drained

1. Place chicken in greased slow cooker.
2. Combine salad dressing and water. Pour over chicken.
3. Cover. Cook on low 4-5 hours.
4. In saucepan, combine cream cheese and soup. Heat slightly to melt cream cheese. Stir in mushrooms. Pour over chicken.
5. Cover. Cook 1 additional hour on low.
6. Serve over noodles or rice.

Variation: Add frozen vegetables along with the mushrooms.

Serves 6

And while we're on the topic of slow-cooking, an encouragement about being patient taken from John Piper's book, Battling Unbelief - another recommendation in itself!

James 5:11 - "You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and gracious.

"James wants us to see the purpose of Job's suffering. The word for 'purpose' is telos and mean 'goal.' It was God's goal in all his dealings with Job to be merciful, and fit him for a greater blessing...The power of patience flows from faith in this truth: In all [God's] dealings with us his goal is 'compassionate and merciful.' Faith in future grace is faith in grace that is sovereign, and sovereignty that is gracious."

If you are suffering or have been set back by something unexpected or simply delayed in getting daily tasks done by some interruption, remember that God is sovereign over everything, and gracious in His sovereignty. According to Romans 8:28, if you belong to Him, He will work every set-back together for your good - even if you don't receive the good here, you will in heaven. According to Paul, death now even serves the Christian because it is the way that we receive heaven and there stand face to face with our redeemer and receive every good thing we have only partially tasted in the here and now.

If you aren't a believer, check this out. And even if you are, it's a great reminder!!!

Happy waiting :)