Job 42:10 – After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. (NIV)

I love cooking and baking. I enjoy perusing recipes, learning new cooking techniques, and expanding my culinary repertoire through experimentation with different flavours. As I have health issues, eating healthy food with fresh ingredients is also an important aid in my recovery.

A favourite fare in our home is my homemade condiments. This summer, we have been enjoying eating pesto alla Genovese that I make with fresh basil leaves from our garden. Tossed with zucchini noodles, mixed into a salad dressing, or drizzled over roasted vegetables, the fresh cheesy, nutty, and herbal flavours add a lovely, creamy zest to our meals.

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, including our stock of homemade pesto. Therefore, I went to the supermarket the other day to buy some more green goodness to tide us over until I could make my next batch.

However, instead of the neat rows of glass jars that I was accustomed to seeing in the pasta and sauce aisle, there was an empty space. No pesto!

For a moment, I was disappointed. However, that feeling quickly dissipated once I gave myself a reality check: What was my temporary hankering for a condiment when millions of people around the world were starving every day? How insignificant were my culinary concerns when thousands were falling ill daily to the COVID-19 virus?

With gratitude, right then and there in the supermarket, I thanked God silently for His provision and for putting my heart into the right perspective.

Yesterday, I was in another supermarket, and lo and behold, I saw a plethora of pesto jars in various red and green hues! Not only was I able to obtain one glass, but I bought two glasses in two different flavours, which I hadn't anticipated. I had received a double blessing of pesto!

Later, while I was reading in the book of Job, I felt like the Lord drew me a parallel between the protagonist and my double pesto purchase. Despite losing his children, servants, animals, crops, and even the sympathy of his friends, Job remained faithful and grateful to God. Consequently, the Lord restored Job's fortunes and blessed him with double of what he had lost.

Of course, my pesto deficiency was only miniscule in comparison to the troubles that Job endured. However, I was grateful for the lesson that it taught me, that God is sympathetic to our struggles, no matter how trivial. Through faith and a grateful and humble heart, we, too, can be open to receive His blessings, which will be double in relation to our troubles.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You sympathize with us in the midst of our adversities. Thank You, that with faith in Your goodness and with a grateful heart, we can look forward to a double portion of Your blessings. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Madeline Kalu <madelinetwooney@gmail.com>
Bochum, Germany
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