God Even Helps with Dinner

I’m much more likely to think about practical survival needs like what’s for dinner, which discipline strategy will work, and what room to clean than I am to think about the Holy Spirit.  Sound familiar? I mean He’s not going to tell me what to have for dinner. Or am I missing it? Might He help me with seemingly mundane requests if I just ask?

Moms are especially guilty of the shoulds, thinking, I should be able to figure this out. I should be able to handle my kids. I should be in a better place in my marriage by now.  Believing we should be able is nothing but pride. It’s merely an attitude that says, I don’t need God’s help for this. I’m depending on self. I can figure it out. But we can’t figure it out. We do need His help!

When Jesus introduced the Spirit to His disciples, He used the name Helper. In Greek, the word is Paraclete, which means comforter, advocate, or counselor. As He said to them, He says to us: You will be okay because I will send you the Helper. “I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you” (John 14:18). “The Helper will be with you and in you…” (John 14:17).

Jesus wants us, to hear His heart of love: I will not abandon you. I will not leave you alone and without help. Believe Me,” He implores us. Like the many times I reassured my little ones, “Mommy will be back.  I promise. I will not abandon you.” So Jesus does the same with us. The Helper will be with us forever. And you can depend on Him for even the smallest, most practical needs.

-Where do you need the Holy Spirit’s help this week?

-Set reminders on your phone for 3 or 4 times throughout the day. Make the reminders say, “Ask the Holy Spirit for help.” And really ask Him when your phone alerts you.

-How can you help your children to remember to rely on the Holy Spirit every day?

 

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15 thoughts on “God Even Helps with Dinner”

  1. Right now, I am asking the Holy Spirit to help me unpack boxes & set up house. We moved across town! Literally, tell me, ‘Lord, what cabinet should I put this old casserole dish in & where should I place the kids’ bandaids? I had no idea how stressful moving would be & He’s been there every step of the way. Even when my legs hurt so bad from all the packing…I just played an Audio Bible & honestly, His Word was my portion. But, I told Andy-we are never moving again! ;)

  2. I don’t usually post my thoughts but this one made me smile… a couple weeks ago I spent the day weeding and cleaning and had no energy left for figuring out dinner for our family of 6. I breathed a prayer, knowing that the budget wasn’t there for a meal out, despite my hopes. Minutes later my neighbor comes over with a giant bag of frozen potstickers that “they just weren’t going to eat”…. and dinner was provided! The best part was telling our nonbelieving neighbors how they were a direct answer to prayer. God does care about dinner!

  3. Therese Schlotte

    I was not comforted by this message today. It just makes me feel deeply the pain of “hope differed.” I prayed for help this morning. I guess I either can’t hear the holy spirit’s voice or I am disobeying it. I really am not sure what is happening when the strife happens in what I think is a simple attempt at communicating with my husband, yet offense happens, misunderstanding, etc. I am wondering when God will actually help me with this communication thing. When Lord when? How long Oh Lord, how long?

    1. Theresa remember we are not made for this world and there will be many misunderstandings as we communicate with each other. One thing that continues to help me when strife occurs in my marriage is that my mate is not my enemy. However there is an enemy who desires to see your marriage upside down!! Hang in there trust in the unseen!!Jesus!!!

      1. Thanks Karen for your wise words to Theresa. I completely agree.

        Theresa — perhaps you and your husband can plan to attend one of FamilyLife’s Weekend to Remember getaways this fall. My husband always has said, just as a car needs a regular tune up and our bodies need regular physical checkups, so our marriages need regular refueling and refreshing.

      2. Dear Karen, I had forgotten that I wrote this and somehow found this thread again. Your words of encouragement have come to pass. God is so good! Our prayers are heard. My life is blessed and I am amazed that God is able to do more than we could ask or imagine. (Eph 3:20) Thank you for allowing God to work through you. Be blessed!

    2. One time when our children were very small, my husband and I were at odds with each other over something. I can’t even remember the particulars of it now, but instead of responding in kind to a hurtful remark, I heard the Holy Spirit speak to my heart with the words of Proverbs 15:1, about “the soft answer” and how it will turn away wrath. By God’s grace, I was able to give a soft answer, and He used that to completely turn that situation around. Through that one experience, the Lord began to open my eyes to my need to pray about everything and then to trust Him for the answers. His answers are not always what I thought was best or what I secretly wanted. However, as I learned to look for the answers to those prayers, He also opened my eyes to the unexpected answers which turned out to be better than anything I could have thought up or worked out. He has also shown me times when He has had to say “No” or “Wait” to my prayers, because it was not the for the best, that is, His Best! Learning to listen to Him, look for His provision, and trust His sufficiency in all things is definitely a life-long learning process, but the relationship I have gained with Him is better than anything this world could ever provide. Religion is a mere shadow and will never satisfy us long term. Having a relationship with Jesus is just one of the day-to-day blessings of salvation; trusting Him to direct and provide for us in every way is another one. Best of all, to me, is the knowledge that our relationship with Him will last forever, and that satisfies the deepest longings of the heart.

  4. Lubisi Thembani Lettie ( Mrs)

    Yes, the helper is always aailable and active. I was rushing to a morning briefing at work when suddenly I could not locate mycar keys. In that frustration that I would be late searching for them, I asked the Holy Spirit to help me. Wow! He opened my eyes to see my keys at a place I had searched many times. He is great, a Comforter so faithful. Praise God Halleluya.
    Thank you for sharing with us.

  5. Barbara, thank you so much for the beautiful and sparkly King of Kings ornament I received from you at the legacy night in Ft. Collins, Co. I feel so honored to receive it, thank you so much! I am passing it on to a friend who leads the women’s ministry in my church and who is discipling a precious woman and they are studying the names of God. I love your blog and love what you are learning and passing on to us. I am so thankful for you! God bless you and Dennis! Love you, Julie Rode with Athletes in Action at the Ohio State University

  6. I love your idea to set your phone as a reminder– to build the habit easily. We so underestimate God’s longing to build intimacy with us. Emmanuel. God with us. For everything. I believe it insults his love when we insist on doing it all by ourselves as he so longs to lavish us.

  7. I really love this reminder that we are not supposed to figure this all out on our own!! We need the Holy Spirit and each other as moms to encourage and uplift one another! I hope to use this devotion in the foster and adoptive moms group I am a part of — thank you!!

  8. And He DOES! Absolutely amazing how smoothly our day flows when we give it ALL to Him, and depend upon, TRUST that He IS involved…first! Raising our adopted Grand Girls, now 13 and 12, for the last 6 years, this old MIMI has needed every avenue of assistance and comfort. FINALLY He got through to me, and as I began to truly believe, ask, and LISTEN, wow, what an amazing difference in our home! His Peace can indeed now surround us! AMEN Barbara, and thank you and Dennis for all you give us!

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