Dannette First off – this is NOT about chili. But if you’re hungry for food for your soul, read on!
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If you are close with me, you know cooking is not my forte. But heavenly chili? It’s something I’ll make every day of the week and twice on Sundays.
You might be thinking you need this chili recipe — and let me tell ya — YOU DO. I’ll share the recipe at the end. It’s these words in the middle though that bring heaven down.
And it starts with God’s word, that thing we call a Bible. The one that gets lost under cushions, left in the car, or gathers dust on some forgotten shelf at home. The one I mean to read, but don’t dive in nearly enough. I find myself asking the same questions over and over as I barrel down the road of this christian life. I know it’s a must. I know there is power and truth in God’s word. But still, the questions come.
Where do I start? Is it worth my time? What will speak to my soul? Will it even matter?
It matters, my friends. God’s word is the only book in existence with His WORDS. Other books we read may help us study and explain God’s word to us, and believe me, those have been a blessing to me too. They may help us apply it, but only God’s word itself is alive.
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
So if you want to grow in your faith, if you want inspiration, a ministry, if you want to hear from God — you’ve got to crack that Bible open. It has life and power that can speak to our very hearts. It wields a sword that cuts right into the hard parts, to the center of our cold bones.
I shared a verse the other day from Romans that says it’s our own wicked hearts that suppress the truth. (Romans 1:18). That means that by nature, we reject the truth. We do our best to avoid the truth of God — let alone to read it. And I believe that’s what happens when we start reasoning ourselves away from reading God’s word.
Maybe you don’t like to read. Then if I may, I challenge you to find a way to at least listen to it. Maybe have your bible app read you a chapter while you drive or do the dishes. There are ways to take it in and digest it without having to read words on a page. We just have to fight for it a bit to make it happen.
2 Timothy 3:16 tells us, “All Scripture is God-breathed…”
That means it’s the breath of God, you guys. THE. BREATH. OF. GOD. So many of us (me included) want to hear from God. We just don’t realize the opportunity to hear from Him is at our fingertips.
As I’ve been studying the breath of God, I’ve dug into this verse a little bit. The Hebrew word for God-breathed is theopneustos. In short, it means “inspired by God”. If we break the word apart though, it seems to mean a little more, or at least, to me.
Theo, means God. Pneu, means breathed out. So all scripture is breathed out by God. It’s not just words written under inspiration…they are words breathed out by God Himself.
I can think of another instance where God breathed out — when He breathed life into us. In Genesis 2:7 we read,
Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man become a living being.
Isn’t that interesting? God breathes LIFE. His breath alone is what jump started life at the very beginning. What we don’t realize is we have access to his life giving breath again, each and every time we read His word. That’s why it’s called alive. IT’S HIS BREATH in words.
Is anyone else hearing Mack Brock’s song Into Dust right now…”You are the maker of my heart…You speak life into dust” ???
This brings me to my next point. SPEAKING.
Have you ever thought about how we speak? We are able to speak and use our voice because we have breath. Breath travels through our lungs, vibrates our vocal chords, and we are able to communicate with words. We speak; we use our breath to do it. I dare say, it’s the same with God. He SPEAKS through His breath…the very words He breathed out and we call scripture.
There is so much more to say here, especially about the Holy Spirit, but that’s another post, for another time. What I wanted to encourage you all with today is to get into God’s word. It’s alive. It’s powerful. It’s how He moves in us. Teaches us. Inspires us. I think we miss so much of what He’s doing around us when we aren’t in His word. He SPEAKS through it, does he not?
And this long explanation is how my chili became heavenly. I’ve spent days digging into God’s word. No specific study. Just reading it. Looking up words, finding the context, and waiting for God to speak. The scriptures I shared above are part of what I’ve been reading about. This concept of breath becomes specifically meaningful to us in late January in February in our household because there was a time one of us wasn’t able to breathe without a machine a few years back.
So God’s been giving me words. Filling me with truth and boldness over these past few days as I’ve been reading the Bible. He’s been showing up in verses and songs and conversations with friends. God works through His word and through His Spirit, and part of how we experience that is in the reading of simple words. The condition of our hearts apart from the work of God are lackluster at best. So we read the words, digest bits of truth and that’s when Spirit of God can really start to awaken our souls. Left to ourselves we are uninspired. Fearful. Ashamed. Lost.
HE makes us brave. HE gives us boldness. HE is the voice that breathes life. HE changes us from within.
Read the words, my friends. READ THE WORDS.
This morning I had to run to the grocery for ingredients for chili because a sweet friend is tying the knot today, and I’m bringing the chili. As I carried the groceries to my car, I came across a lady needing help. I was able to help her, have time for her, SEE her, because my soul was being led by the Spirit of God working through His word. I had scripture and encouragement and words meant just for her from God. I’m not so sure I would have been ready or willing to help this woman, had I not fed my soul.
So chili becomes heavenly in my house, when the grocery store run becomes an opportunity to share the gospel and love of Jesus with a stranger.
Heavenly chili my friends. Let’s make some. Let’s not miss the necessary ingredients to do His work.
And if you’re hungry, try this recipe. It’s pretty dang delicious. And in this house, today, it’s heavenly. Pip and Ebby’s Chili
