In The Hands of the Sovereign Chef

In the hands of the Sovereign Chef, we are being prepared. It is in this process that we come to know the Chef as we observe His ways and are entrusted with His hidden secrets.

Time, a useful agent, is in His hands. We tend to rely on gadgets to buy time, but not so with Him. Measured in hours and minutes there are ancient secrets floating down, dusting the board upon which He works, leaving fingerprints on everything He touches. Familiar to men of old whose time was uncluttered, pilgrims, pioneers and other sojourners remember what we have long forgotten. If we were to go back and open the pages a well-worn cookbook, it would be uncovered. In the Light, the secret of a Physician-prescribed soup is revealed, a priceless recipe…unfettered by time.

Besides time, to make the broth that heals, the recipe demands that ‘the whole chicken must be used’. Some today discard the bones, head, and feet. Not so with this Chef, nothing is ever wasted; we are a part of His own unique recipe, having even an aroma that is purposeful. Gently, like a warm breeze, the scent arises to greet its Chef. Wafting the smell into the open air, it goes out like an invitation to all who pass by. Stimulated by the desire to taste, they are captured mid-step. Their eyes close; they breathe.

Meanwhile, the Chef guards the level of the water. (Isaiah 27:2) Water. This is of utmost importance, for nothing is worse than a pot that boils dry. The ingredients sink to the bottom and begin to burn. If left this way, it sticks and scorches; smoke pours out from the lid, and stench fills the room. The ingredients disintegrate into ashes and ruin the bottom of the pot. We have seen many a life end this way.

According to the recipe, the “whole bird must go in”. The Chef insists on ALL of us, from the top of our head, to the bottom of our feet, drawing out all the favor and the nutrients from deep in the marrow of our bones. He blends together the herbs and spices, grown high on mountaintops and in deep dark valleys, every aspect of our personality, experiences, circumstances, tragedies, blessings, birth order, family make up ~ everything is there! And remember…flavor is enhanced by the adding of Salt. (Lev. 3:13)

It simmers for what might seem like a like a lifetime. Here is where many faint and give way. Oh! How long it must simmer in the heat of the trials of affliction, adversity, and the pressures of life!

And then…at the exact moment…known only to the Maker, it is ready.

In the room the guests were chosen, called and gathered. They have been made hungry.

With His ladle, the Chef draws from the soul prepared and fresh testimony is served. The mouth of the speaker opens and a rare fragrance fills the room as she whispers, “taste and see that the LORD is good.” (2 Cor 2:15) (Ps 34:8)

Spoonful after spoonful it is being served from the “well that never runs dry.” (John 4:14) In humility the speaker’s life is being poured out, however, the vessel remains full.

From the hands of the Sovereign Chef is served a recipe not found anywhere else in heaven or on earth but here in this moment. Never repeated, never duplicated. Its unique character can hardly be described because no morsel stands alone. It has no beginning, no end. It is God’s workmanship flowing from the timelessness of eternity. The person is finite, the experiences her own, swirling in ageless truths and promises. From Genesis to Revelation its profound essence holds up as sound nutrition … to feed the souls of man.