Since coming across this quote, I have seldom entered my kitchen without pausing a moment to reflect upon the idea of my Lord and Savior, the great God of the universe, waiting there for me to encounter Him next to my stove or sink.
I am thankful that we serve a God who shows up in big, unmistakable demonstrations of His power and presence in our lives. However, my experience and the pages of the Scriptures testify to the significance of the instances in which we encounter God in the course of our daily routine, including times in the kitchen and while enjoying the fruit of our labor over a meal with our loved ones.
The Bible frequently employs imagery related to cooking and meals to illustrate an aspect of God’s relationship with us or to encourage us to seek Him with a fresh perspective. The New Testament provides us with a glimpse into perhaps the most significant meal of them all: the Lord’s Supper.
What many modern-day Christians celebrate with Dixie cups of juice and tiny crackers was originally a portion of the multiple-course Passover meal that Christ used to call the disciples’ attention to what He was preparing to do on the cross. It was during their tableside conversation that Jesus chose to lay out His plan for the atonement of our sin and for the sacrament that would remind us of His sacrifice, using such staples as bread and wine to represent His body and blood.
However, if our observance of communion is the only meal during which we take time to “taste and see that the Lord is good,” as David enthusiastically prompted us to do in Psalm 34:8, we are missing out on daily opportunities to meditate on His provision with our physical senses.
Whether you find cooking to be an energizing creative outlet or a necessary evil for your and your family’s well-being, be encouraged to know that God’s desire is to commune with you and your family in the kitchen and around the dinner table, whether you’re enjoying mac and cheese or filet mignon. If cooking seems like drudgery to you, remind yourself that your Savior is as present with you there as He is with you in your most intimate time with Him.
(I also encourage you to involve other members of your household in the kitchen work! You’ll be giving them the opportunity to benefit from an encounter with God there, and you’ll enjoy having the extra hands.)
If you already enjoy cooking, look forward to the time you can spend with the Father in front of the stove and the fellowship you’ll share as your friends and family enjoy a meal together.
Verses for further study:
Luke 22:1-20, Exod. 12, Exod. 3:1-9, Exod. 16, John 2:1-12, Mark 6:30-44, Mark 8:1-10
Amanda Quain graduated from Hanover College in 2006 and now works for Creation House, a division of Strang Communications, as a copyeditor. She and her husband, Joshua, live in Orlando, Florida. Follow her on Twitter at @LadyQuain.
