There are many translations out there, I picked a few. Bread is mentioned in the Bible: NKJ 346 times in 315 verses, KJV 361 times in 330 verses, NIV 271 times in 250 verses and NAS mentioned bread 316 times in 286 verses. Wow! That's a lot of bread. (I didn't count them myself, it was listed in a Strong's Concordance). It takes me long enough to post. hehe.
If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens.
Robert Browning, English poet, (1812-1889)
I have to admit I love good bread. I've also been known to bake some awesome loaves a time or too. Today, the recipe I use far surpassed and exceeded my expectations; in the bread department. This bread will tempt any true bread lover and possibly a non-bread lover. That is if there's such a person! Pain De Provence; makes 1 delicious loaf. I got it from The Rustic Loaf site. http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/paindeprovence
You make a poolish (starter) the day before. You also use Herbes de Provence. I used my own mix. The other ingredient that makes this a bit different is Grand Marnier, or one of the like. (Does this make sense?)
I used my baking stone, and with a water in a pan below, makes the crust very rustic.
The smell is awesome from the herbs. Your whole kitchen has this wonderful aroma the entire time it's baking.
And, when it's finally ready to count into. . .Ahhhhhhhhh You just can't get that satisfaction in a store!
Now, this bread might take care of our stomachs. We can't live on that alone.
We all go through deserts, valleys and wildernesses in our lives. We are continually tempted. And, our faith is put to a test. Jesus was tempted far beyond what we could possibly ever comprehend. Yet He sinned not. He relied on God's Word. He wasn't defeated. He's the victor. God gives us, through His Word and fellowship with Him, means to resist temptations. And, the means to fight those battles that ultimately test our faith. I know in my own life, it's been especially hard the past several months. When you don't always see answers to your prayers. But, I know I have to hold on for the battle's already been won. No matter how hard it is.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7
Below is a favorite; I guess the mood I'm in. And what does it all have to do with bread? Man hungers for spiritual food and He is the bread of Life.
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Just as it is written, "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED."
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39
2 comments:
The bread looks delicious!!! I will have to imagine the smell as I am not quite able to bake bread right now.
I was thinking today about all of the trials that have been going on in my life as of late. I came to realize that I am quite the worrier and I live my day minute by minute sailing from one worry to the next.
After some frightening news from my daughter last night I was just about paralyzed once again with fear and anxiety. The dread was dampening my mood for my son's upcoming wedding this weekend and I told my husband I don't know how much more I can bear.
Then the Lord spoke to me and took me back to when I was in labor with my fourth child. In my first three labors I was in terrible pain and I fought the pain with all I had, to no avail. Eventually the pain subsided and the joy of a baby made it all worthwhile.
During the last labor, however, God made it clear that the pain was necessary to see my new child. I embraced the pains as they came and didn't fight them. I lay in the bed and prayed thru them all, thanking God for the joy that was to come at any time because of the pain that I was having.
Now He is speaking to me again. The pain that I am going thru is pain that will subside and joy will be at the end. I am not to fight the pain any more, only embrace it and thank God that because of the pain something wonderful will be at the end of it. It's exciting to walk with God - not being able to see what's ahead but knowing that it will be beyond anything I could have wished for myself.
Ephesians 3:14-21
14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen
If man did live by bread alone, this bread would be a great choice to live on. I must say that being short on cash these days has forced Vicky to get back into making our own bread. When we were first married, and were struggling to make end meet, she would bake all of our own bread. I remember we bought a really neat bread pan, it was designed to make two long, rounded, loafs at a time. The pan cost us a lot of money at the time, making us appreciate the bread all the more. Ironic when you think about it - - the fruit of being poor, is really great tasting bread! I wonder if we'll be planting a garden soon, you know, to keep expenses down. . .another fruit of having little money.
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