Message in a Cookie

On the night of Jan 8, 2011 my husband and I were out for dinner with some dear friends at a delicious Chinese restaurant.  After some wonderful conversation and spicy Mongolian beef, it was time for us to open and eat our fortune cookies.  It’s always rather fun to “see what you get” but this night I wanted more!  Conversing with God in my mind and heart, I asked Him to give me something to chew on, to take with me, and to challenge me.  We all took turns opening our cookies, laughing at some and hoping for others. 

Then it was my turn – “Keep on charging the enemy as long as there is life!”

What?  Did my fortune cookie message really have spiritual value and meaning?  Was that message something fortunate or a call to action?  What did that mean for me personally?  Who puts that saying in a fortune cookie anyway? 

My answer - the God of the Universe can, who cares about His people and who wants me to continue to stand in the GAP and contend for my family, my friends, my community, my church, and the lost through prayer.  In that moment I felt the urgency of the fact that this life is so much bigger than my agenda. 

So I set out for 60 days straight, yes straight, which was a supernatural miracle of discipline if you ask my husband, to let the Lord speak to me what He wanted to say, not what I wanted to find.  It was a mystery to me each day.  Only He knew what message was inside each cookie.  Therefore, the order of the devotion has an organic feel and flow to it as it is not orchestrated by my intentions or human desire.  I opened myself up, as a willing vessel, to receive from the Lord whatever His plan was for me and for whomever else may read this.  I wanted it to be about what He wanted me to learn, relate to, and grow from each day. 

This devotional is comprised of real and raw conversation between me and the Lord.  It asks tough questions of the Lord and brings to the surface even tougher questions that we must answer to keep from getting stagnant and to keep us moving closer to Jesus.  On this journey, I discovered that you don’t have to be highly-educated or super-spiritual to learn how to have a deep and intimate relationship with Christ.  You just have to say, “Speak to me Lord, for your child is here waiting on You.”

Ultimately, Message in a Cookie is a devotional for those who are looking for God to show up in the most unlikely places, who want God to have control in their lives and of their lives.  My desire is that you will come to know yourself better and to fall in love with Jesus more.  The greatest challenge is to learn to look for Christ in all things so that you can let Him speak truth, life, wisdom, hope, joy, love, and encouragement into your soul at all times. 

Be blessed and enjoy the journey!