A good, juicy steak is a culinary favorite at our house. T-bone, sirloin, ribeye… it doesn’t matter. Toss it on the grill, sprinkle with a little seasoning, and let it sizzle to perfection. Mmmm… my mouth is watering just thinking about it. We seldom buy steaks from a grocery store, but prefer purchasing a quarter of beef from local farmers and having it processed to our own specifications. The convenience of having meat in the freezer, knowing where it came from, and saving some money, all add to the pleasure of a delicious meal. However, this has not always been true. Several years ago we were enticed to purchase a quarter of beef from an acquaintance that turned out to be anything but pleasant. We were able to use the other cuts of meat from this animal, but the steaks were nasty; tough and chewy and full of gristle. When we did try and grill the steaks, half of it would end up in the garbage.
A friend suggested marinating the meat and gave me a recipe to try. The instructions called for a little of this and a little of that, stir it all together, pour it over the meat and let sit for 4-24 hours. That’s it. Let. It. Sit. I wasn’t expecting this simple process to change my gnarly beef, but the next day the meat on my plate was as tender and flavorful as any I have ever had. It was transformed from barely edible to amazing all because I let it sit and soak in the goodness I had prepared for it. Apparently my friend was right!
God also knows a thing or two about marinating. The goodness he has prepared for us is overwhelming and he tells us over and over again to rest and sit still in His goodness.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him… Psalm 37:7
Be still, and know that I am God… Psalm 46:10
In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength. Isaiah 30:15
Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. Mark 6:31
According to the dictionary, marinate means to soak, souse, immerse, to let sit, for the purpose of tenderizing and flavoring. Just as I was skeptical about the change that would take place when I marinated my steaks, I have also been doubtful of the benefit of marinating my soul. It sounds like a good idea but who has the time, right? Well, I have found that without marinating in God’s word and soaking in his love, I too can get a little tough and gnarly.
This year I have been trying to focus on God’s Presence; learning about it, asking for it, being aware of it. In a devotional I am reading, author Chris Tiegreen advised that “if we want to have any awareness of God’s closeness, any sense of His Presence, any hint of His voice, we have to clear the clutter out of our minds, sit with Him, and be still. There’s no other way.”
With so many distractions that draw our attention away from God and a host of things we “should” be doing it’s hard to just sit with him and enjoy his company. But there really is no other way. I challenge you to join me in sitting with Jesus. No demands, no prayer list, no agenda. Just sit. And listen. Instead of trying to chew threw another day, start your morning with a good soaking. If this is something new for you, start slowly. Try 10 or 20 minutes, but do it every day.
My prayer for myself and each one of you is that we would marinate in God’s love each and every day and that our hearts would grow tender toward Him and to everyone around us!
Erin Jacobsma