Have you ever had the Lord whisper something to you in the most peculiar places? Well, today it happened to me when I was in the chicken aisle at ShopRite.
I stopped by the grocery store to pick up a few items as I began to browse. Once again, the sticker price on meat alone shocked me. The prices on chicken legs took me to the Old Testament of the Bible. Yes, right in the chicken aisle.
2 Kings speaks of a famine in Samaria where a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels. Every time I read that scripture, I can envision a donkey's head, and it does not seem appetizing to me. Yet, in the midst of a famine, it sold for 80 shekels.
So, what did the Lord minister to me? It was a word of hope and encouragement.
Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.
Encouragement is the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope. (Oxford Dictionary)
I began to think about how many may be struggling to put one meal on the table for their family. It might be a family member, a friend, a neighbor, maybe even our enemy.
Personally, I don't like to waste food. Yet, sometimes I find myself doing exactly that. Perhaps I made too much of something, and after a couple of days, it is discarded.
I’ve learned that when I cook, I immediately wrap leftovers and try to give them to someone. It might be something as simple as my son's favorite meal, so I drop it off for him. My heart is encouraged to know that my son enjoyed the meal I made. There was no extra effort involved; it was leftovers.
Do you know someone who might be blessed by a meal? We can become chefs in the kitchen where a bag of potatoes and a few pieces of chicken can be transformed into a message of hope and encouragement. Literally the hands and feet of Jesus!
It's interesting, sometimes we think a person has to be in financial need for us to share a meal.
“There was a great famine in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter of a cab of seed pods for five shekels.” (2 Kings 6:25)
I'm not saying we're in a famine, but for some, it may feel that way. Times are difficult.
I'm not saying we're in a famine, but for some, it may feel that way. Times are difficult.
So, what did the Lord minister to me? It was a word of hope and encouragement.
Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.
Encouragement is the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope. (Oxford Dictionary)
I began to think about how many may be struggling to put one meal on the table for their family. It might be a family member, a friend, a neighbor, maybe even our enemy.
Personally, I don't like to waste food. Yet, sometimes I find myself doing exactly that. Perhaps I made too much of something, and after a couple of days, it is discarded.
I’ve learned that when I cook, I immediately wrap leftovers and try to give them to someone. It might be something as simple as my son's favorite meal, so I drop it off for him. My heart is encouraged to know that my son enjoyed the meal I made. There was no extra effort involved; it was leftovers.
Do you know someone who might be blessed by a meal? We can become chefs in the kitchen where a bag of potatoes and a few pieces of chicken can be transformed into a message of hope and encouragement. Literally the hands and feet of Jesus!
It's interesting, sometimes we think a person has to be in financial need for us to share a meal.
Sharing meals in the Bible was just part of life.
We have cocooned ourselves. What are we afraid of? When did we stop living? We are a gregarious people. That's how we share the love of God!
We have cocooned ourselves. What are we afraid of? When did we stop living? We are a gregarious people. That's how we share the love of God!
I recall being a young girl watching my mom in our Bronx kitchen make coffee. As she brewed the Bustelo, the aroma filled the air. The scent would travel to the upper floor of our city building, where our neighbor lived. In no time at all, Anna, the neighbor, would come down for a cup of coffee. Sometimes my mom would send me on a coffee run, and I would be the messenger of blessings. The gift doesn’t have to be lavish. It doesn't have to cost a lot of money. The blessing of this exchange is still producing fruit to this day.
Yes, in the chicken aisle at ShopRite, the Lord told me to write this message. Share it with your friends. Encourage them from their bounty to bless someone today. We don't have to wait for someone to be sick or in need before the blessing begins.
Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. Encouragement is the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope. We can do both today!
My heart has been encouraged many times. I've had friends drop off meals, soup, fresh corn, pasteles, coffee, and on and on it goes. No, I wasn't sick or in need of every delivery. It was just a kind gesture that made my heart glad.
At the end of the Bible story, the prophet Elisha appears on the scene. “Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.” (2 Kings 7:1)
Yes, in the chicken aisle at ShopRite, the Lord told me to write this message. Share it with your friends. Encourage them from their bounty to bless someone today. We don't have to wait for someone to be sick or in need before the blessing begins.
Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. Encouragement is the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope. We can do both today!
My heart has been encouraged many times. I've had friends drop off meals, soup, fresh corn, pasteles, coffee, and on and on it goes. No, I wasn't sick or in need of every delivery. It was just a kind gesture that made my heart glad.
At the end of the Bible story, the prophet Elisha appears on the scene. “Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.” (2 Kings 7:1)
The man of God was correct, and the famine broke.
There is a lot we can do to serve others. Sometimes we just need a reminder, even if it's in the chicken aisle at ShopRite.
May the Lord use you to bless someone unsuspecting. Amazingly, the reward will be yours.
To God be the Glory.
“May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
There is a lot we can do to serve others. Sometimes we just need a reminder, even if it's in the chicken aisle at ShopRite.
May the Lord use you to bless someone unsuspecting. Amazingly, the reward will be yours.
To God be the Glory.
“May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
God bless you~Liz
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