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Fire, Salt and Water Jennifer Lynn Joy © 2003There was a season in my life that I taught cooking classes. The Holy Spirit has asked me to share with you one of my favorite recipes. The recipe is for Crock Pot Roast the kind of melt-in-your-mouth-very-tender-tasty roast beef. Take one frozen beef roast and place in a Crock Pot without any water or salt. Place a sliced dill pickle on the top of the roast. Cook overnight on low temperature. In the morning discard the pickle. Add new red potatoes, sweet baby carrots, pearl onions, roasted garlic, fresh basil and two cans of creamy chicken mushroom soup. Simmer on low temperature all day. Serve hot with Cottage Cheese Rolls and lots of love. There are four keys to making a tender roast: 1. The presence of fire (heat) 2. The absence of salt while cooking 3. The absence of water while cooking 4. Dill pickle for tenderizing The presence of heat is essential for cooking. Yet, if you add the salt before or while cooking, it will dry out the meat. If you add water before or while cooking, it toughens the meat. The vinegar in the dill pickle tenderizes the meat. What is the application to our daily lives? In Malachi 3:2-4 the prophet writes, “But who can endure the day of HIS coming? And who can stand when HE appears? For HE is like a refiner’s fire and like launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; HE will purify the sons of Levi. And purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the LORD an offering in righteousness.” During our Christian journey it seems imperative that we will walk in the refining fire of the LORD GOD. That HE will test our heart, our attitude, our response and our behavior. The question is how can we walk through the testing with the least amount of delay and difficulty. The answer is in the recipe. When we are in the fire we usually want one of two things - either for someone to come and comfort us with salt and/or water or we want to leave the fire and be salt and/or water in someone else’s life instead of staying in the fire. The fire being symbolic of staying in the purposes of the LORD GOD for the season. We are often our own worst enemy and bring more difficulties and delays in the testing of the LORD. In Matthew 5:13, JESUS speaks of us being the salt of the earth. We are to bring out the fullness of flavor of the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST, but only when the Holy Spirit gently orders our footsteps and directs our paths. My personal recommendation is that when the LORD GOD has placed you in HIS consuming fire that you embrace the fire; and that when HE has filled you like a saltshaker so to speak, then it is time to go forth as salt. When used at the wrong time salt will dry out good meat and when used at the right time it will add delightful flavor. It is about timing and function through the unction of the Holy Spirit. Being prepared by the LORD to serve HIS Kingdom purposes at just the right time! “For I will pour water in the thirsty land And streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring, And My blessing on your descendants; And they will spring up among the grass Like poplars by streams of water.” (Isaiah 44:3-4) This is a promise of Jehovah Jireh, our Provider. The water is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. Water is refreshing, thirst quenching and sustains life for our physical dwelling places. When used at the wrong time during cooking, it makes for a very tough piece of meat. When the Holy Spirit releases the anointing of GOD then it is time to drink deeply and it is time to serve cool refreshing water. Are you wondering about the dill pickle? The vinegar in the dill pickle tenderizes the meat while it is on the fire. The vinegar is symbolic of the mercy and grace of GOD, which tenderizes our hearts while we are in the fire, while we are going through hard times, while we are pressing in and not giving up even though we want to. Each of us needs to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and more aware of where we are positioned in GOD’s plans and purposes. Symbolically, are we in the refining fire of GOD or being sprinkled around like salt? Perhaps it is the timing of the LORD for us to symbolically represent a pitcher of water ready to be poured out? All are valued in the Kingdom of GOD. All have a purpose and function in the perfect timing and unction of the LORD’s will. It is about trusting HIM fully! Do you? P.S. The Recipe for Cottage Cheese Rolls: Mix together thoroughly - 2 cups butter (do not substitute margarine), 2 cups white flour, 2 cups 4% cottage cheese (not fat free or light). Separate into three equally sized balls, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Roll out each chilled ball of dough like piecrust, cutting each like pizza into 12 shaped wedges and then roll into crescent rolls. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes 36 rolls. Serve and eat hot! Optional: You may fill each roll with a spoonful of jam, jelly or cream cheese before rolling into crescent rolls. Very Yummy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Permission is given to print the Teaching Notes for personal study or sharing with family, friends and/or prayer groups so long as the contents remain unaltered. Any other use of the articles or materials would require written permission. © 1996-2006 - All Rights Reserved.
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