Chocolate Chip Cookies

Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

Chocolate chip cookies - yum! The perfect blend of brown sugar, baking soda, white sugar, salt, vanilla, flour, eggs, and chocolate, baked at 350 degrees for 10 minutes to create a culinary masterpiece. There is absolutely nothing like eating a warm, gooey, chocolate chip cookie straight out of the oven - yum! Isn't it amazing how all those little ingredients go in together to create something fabulous? Honestly, brown sugar by itself tastes a little overwhelming... and baking soda is downright disgusting... white sugar and vanilla are okay. But, don't even get me started on the flour - eww... and raw eggs are simply unhealthy - they do cause salmonella you know. And, then the chocolate - I could definitely eat the chocolate alone!

You see, the point is - its the blend of the ingredients, the finished product, that makes the cookie spectacular. When looked upon individually, not all cookie ingredients taste great. But, the combination of ingredients works together to create something good.

Now, take a look at your life - not everything in your life is good and not everything in your life is bad - but, its the combination that makes your life unique and perfect. Sometimes we encounter trials, like the flour or the uncooked eggs; sometimes, we encounter good things, like the chocolate; and, other times, life is okay, like the sugar or vanilla. But, then, God takes the events of our life and blends them together to create something fabulous!

You see Romans promises us:

• "all things work together" - no event stands alone... it is meant to be viewed in combination with other events -
• "for the good" - God isn't trying to make us miserable, He has an ultimate plan for us, one that requires our whole life, all our ingredients, not just segments.
• "for those who love Him" - We love God and He loves us. He desires the best for our lives, just as we desire the best for our loved ones.
• "who have been called according to His purpose" - Just because our lives don't make sense to us all the time, its okay. God has a plan. And, when we remove ourselves from the here and the now and see things on a God-level, we know there is a greater purpose.

You see, God takes all our ingredients - the good, the bad, and the okay - and mixes them together, bakes them during our lifetime, and creates a fabulous treat to fulfill His purpose!

So, next time you bite into that cookie, think about what all went into making it AND how, just like life, its the combination that makes the flavor!



"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1