Words to Grow On

Archive Devotions

April 4, 2005

People Need Chocolate

by:

Constance DeMichael

When I said, "My foot is slipping," your love, O Lord, supported me. Psalm 94:18

People need chocolate. That has always been my answer to doctors and everyone else when the subject of my chocolate intact is questioned. What do you mean I could lose weight and be healthier if I give up chocolate? Impossible! Chocolate is a main food group. Chocolate is my friend. Chocolate is a better stress reliever than squeezing a stress ball. In my mind, chocolate should be taken in large doses after every meal. I recommend taking it with almonds, with peanut butter and with caramels.

Some women put potpourri in their dresser drawers, I put Chocolate. What a nice scent when you go to your drawer for your jammies.

I know what you are thinking so I will say it for you. You think I am an addict! I wonder how many other women have moved into an office that I once occupied and encountered the remnants of my chocolate addiction in the crevices and corners of closets and desk drawers. I have been certain for years that scientist and doctors will discover the health value in chocolate. I waved the newspaper for everyone to see when the headlines stated that Connie has been proven right. I will admit that the article said in small doses rather than one pound Hershey Bars three times a day but still it is not bad for your health. I recently read an article stating that chocolate is the NEW medicine food in town that fights heart disease, lung cancer, asthma, and type 2 diabetes.

I love to visit the Hershey Factory. It is difficult to contain myself from having this desire to jump into the tanks and swim in the deliciously thick melting chocolate as it swishes back and forth. How long can one tread chocolate? I have read the story about how chocolate goes through a long process to be just the right consistency before it is ready to bare the name of a good chocolate. A tremendous amount of time is involved from the growing of the beans, to the pulling, grinding, melting and manufacturing of something smooth and scrumptious that melts in your mouth.

I realize that my life is like that. Along the road of life I am in a refining process in the hands of my Creator. My responses to the events of my life will determine whether I will be ground down, melted, and made into something good for God's use or thrown back into the melting pot. I have learned that how I mix the events of life will determine my joy and how much I will shine for Jesus in the process. Ephesians says that I am being made more like Him.

God is on the sidelines cheering me on. God is applauding each step I take in His direction. When I am too tired to continue and my feet are slipping, He will carry me. When I am drowning in discouragement and unable to fight He will come to my rescue.

There are those times that I question my value in ministry and wonder if I am helping anyone to find Jesus. There are days that it seems the harder I try the harder it gets in my commitment to serve Him.

It is in these days that God always comes with His comforting words of encouragement and reminds me that I am still in the refining process. He reminds me that Jesus did not die or live again for just the rich, or the intellectuals, or extremely gifted individuals of this world. All God's children that willingly go through His refining process and remain faithful will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

I believe that we are challenged today to hang in there as strong, faithful, committed Christians loving Him through all circumstances in His refining process. We need to continually remember the Word of the Lord in Ephesians 6: 7-8, " Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men. Because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does." God is making us beautiful and more like Christ. In the refining process we will become even sweeter than chocolate.

Prayer: Help me to love you Lord and to trust you as you melt me, mold me and refine me into who you want me to be. Amen