Like a sour dough starter

I have a sour dough starter going. It is almost two and half years 'old' and I freshen it twice a week, baking fresh bread once a week. The Thanksgiving Lesson is wonderful, as it is every year. This Responsive Reading contains a verse from II Corinthians that I have always loved but I looked at it in new light this morning.

Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;  (I(I Corinthians 9:10)

What a lovely and inspiring idea! God is meeting our immediate need and providing more for later.  This starter, translated into a spiritual idea, represents supply and nourishment, and 'daily bread' for me and my family and friends as well as I promise of continuous supply. I wish we had the technology for me to send you a whiff of how good it smells when it is baking. :)

I freshen the starter first, setting aside one cup to use in that day's baking, by adding water and flour to the original. This 'feeds' it and it multiplies over the next few days. So I can use the portion I set aside and make bread that day...bread for my food. But there is plenty left in the crock as it multiplies to be used again later.

One could think of our Bible Lesson that way. It gets 'used', read and studied each day, providing the right ideas and inspiration needed for that day's activities. But it has not used it all up, we are building on that to increase our spiritual understanding of God and our relationship to Him as His beloved child created in His image and likeness. Plenty more to come! It increases our righteousness, our right thinking, our Truth knowing and the fruitage of that is healing and demonstration.

The New Living Translation says: "For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, He will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you".

The Message Bible says: "This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God".

So today I will rejoice in my 'daily bread', be confident in the multiplication of good and appreciate the fruit of righteousness, my ability to know the Truth. 

Next time I bake I will consider that aroma as the sweet savor sent up to God in thanksgiving for all my blessings.