The other morning, God showed me a big heaping bowl of Kasha, with a spoon in it. What is Kasha? Hot cereal. Russian food. (It tastes like Provision.)
Kasha is considered as one of the most common dishes in Russian cuisine, known since time immemorial. Kasha is not only oatmeal, it is everything that is made of whole grains (buckwheat, oats, wheat, millet, barley, rice, etc.) as the main ingredient.
The loose American equivalent would be oatmeal. Personally, I'm not a big fan, unless it has a lot of butter and brown sugar in it, and I feel the same about Kasha. But the thing to remember about Kasha is you use whatever is on hand. Oats? Barley? Buckwheat? Millet? Toss it the pot and serve it. Cheap, nutritious, and filling.
Sometimes God provides you with your favorite foods, and that's awesome! But other times, he feeds you with what's on hand. I'm thinking of the missionary couple in the Middle East who got caught in civil unrest and had to stay inside their apartment for a month with the lights out and the doors locked. The only significant food they had on hand was a 50 lb. bag of dates...
Matthew 15 tells us about just such a time. A great crowd had been following Jesus and it was long past time to send them home, but they had a real problem. Everyone was hungry.
Jesus called the disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way."
(Note that the crowd had stayed with Jesus for three days without food, hanging on his every word. In contrast, I tend to start thinking about dinner if the Sunday sermon lasts until 12:30... But three days? I don't have that kind of spiritual hunger. Not yet.)
His disciples answered, "Where could we get enough bread in this place to feed such a crowd?"
"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked.
"Seven, they replied, "and a few small fish."
He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples and they in turn to the people. They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was four thousand, besides women and children. After Jesus sent the crowd away, he got in the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.
They probably would have preferred smoked brisket, but what was on hand was bread and dried fish, so that is what they ate and it was enough-- for four thousand men, plus their families. Was it Michelin-star dining? No, but I'll bet it tasted good, all the same.
Jeremiah 40 tells another time of such provision. Jerusalem has been conquered and most survivors deported, but the Babylonians left a remnant of poor dirt farmers to live in the land under the leadership of Gedaliah, whom had been appointed as Governor. He gave them specific instructions in verses 10-12, quoted from The Message:
"My job is to stay here in Mizpah and be your advocate before the Chaldeans when they show up. You job is to take care of the land: Make wine, harvest the summer fruits, press olive oil. Store it all in pottery jugs and settle into the towns you have taken over."
The Judeans who had escaped to Moab, Ammon, Edom, and other countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a few survivors in Judah and made Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shephan, governor over them. They all started coming back to Judah from all the places they had been scattered. They came to Judah and to Gedaliah at Mizpah and went to work gathering a HUGE supply of wine and summer fruits.
Picture this moment. Jerusalem was in ruins and the Babylonian army had besieged it and eaten all the crops. The place was unlivable. But then the Babylonian army left, and God provided food. Not just food, but a bumper crop. Enough to last all winter if stored properly. Here in this time of sorrow, was God's provision. Not just a little food, but abundance.
I think maybe what God was telling me with the big bowl of kasha was that he was going to provide. Hard times are coming, but there would be food on hand. Maybe not with butter and sugar to my liking, perhaps, but it would be enough.
May your Kasha, God's provision in your life, be absolutely amazing. Five stars.
Well said Pete
God is great and He does provide!