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Man Shall Not Live By Rice Alone

By Bonnie Gray • August 26, 2009 • 22 Comments

To ride out the economic hard times, let us encourage one another by filling up on God’s Promises.

As a little girl, growing up American-Chinese in the church, I wondered what it would’ve been like if Jesus were Chinese?  He could still wear a long robe, choose carpentry, and hang out with fishermen.  But, one thing would be different for sure.

Instead of saying, “Man shall not live by bread alone”,  Jesus would’ve said, “Man shall not live by rice alone.”

Rice to Asians is like bread is to white folks.  One whiff of it cooking, and all is well.  Especially if I had a hard day at school and the world was stressful, I could home to my sweet bowl of rice at dinner. My tummy would be happy and everything would be alright.

From childhood ’til now as a mommy myself, one of my favorite dishes has remained fried rice.  It’s sweet and chewy, with a different morsel of yummy with each bite.  Fried rice is colorful and easy to eat.  And as a mom, it’s so easy to cook.  One crack of an egg, chop up some left over chicken or ham, stir fry it with some veges, and voila!  Delicious fried rice. Aahhhhh…

During economic hard times like the one we’re in, the rice in our canisters somehow seem to run out quicker.

It’s time to refill.

And so it is with our manna from God.  We need to encourage one another to ride out the financial turmoil by filling up on God’s Promises.  As the Englishman says, “His word is his bond.”

Jesus answered, “It is written:  Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”  Matthew 4:4

Spiritual Fried Rice

So, here are some of hand-picked Bible verses from me to you — my spiritual fried rice, if you will — made up of peas from the Psalms, some eggs from Luke, and some chopped up morsels from the Epistles.

Sweet, chewy, and filling:


friedrice

~~~~~
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”  Matthew 6:25

We are not going to be neglected by our Heavenly Father.  No way.

~~~~~

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”  Luke 11: 11-13

We can always go directly to our Heavenly Father and simply ask! Even if we hardly had a thing, we’d still give our children whatever lint we had in our pockets (with tantrums and all).  How much more our Heavenly Father would do for us!

~~~~~


“The days of the blameless are known to the Lord, and their inheritance will endure forever.  In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.”  Psalm 37:18-19

It may seem we wilt in the face of trouble, but God’s got our backs.  We will not wither!

~~~~~
“Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble.” Psalm 41:1

Let’s keep watching out for those around us who can use some help.  God won’t forget us when we need His.

~~~~~
“Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.”  Proverbs 11:28

Money doesn’t promise us anything, anyhow.  But, having God in us?  We’re golden.

~~~~~
“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”  1 Corinthians 10:13

 

When we think we can no longer stand the hard times and fears that surround us, God will rescue us.  He won’t allow our circumstance to break us beyond repair.

~~~~~

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”  Luke 6:38

Tiny or big, it makes no difference to Him.  God will remember, whatever measure it is.
~~~~~

 

“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

God will help us make it through, whatever it is you’re facing.

~~~~~

And if you happen to be so fortunate to have extra, here’s a word for you:

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.   Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” 1 Timothy 6:17-18

I hope you enjoyed your Spiritual Fried Rice.  I would love to add some of your own ingredients…

What are the Bible verses that are encouraging you during these economic hard times?

If you leave a comment sharing a favorite Bible verse for today’s Spiritual Fried Rice,  you may be chosen to receive a $50 Safeway Gift Card!

Safeway $50 Giveaway at FaithBaristaSafeway $50 Gift Card Giveaway

Thanks to our Giveaway Sponsor, Safeway, I may be sending you a $50 Safeway Gift Card, to shave off a week’s grocery bills.

To have a chance at being selected:

Take a minute to leave a comment.  Share a verse that has encouraged you in this economic downturn.

(Be sure to enter your email address on the comment form, so I can contact you, if your name is chosen!)

This Giveaway is free to you.  There will be no shipping or handling fee.

This giveaway ends this Friday, August 28th, 2009 at Midnight PST.   A random comment will be selected using the Random.org Number Generator. I will email the person who leaves the selected comment,  and the results will be posted here, on Monday, August 31st.

Eligibility:  United States residents only.

Enjoy, dear friends!

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22 Comments

  • Reply Joe Chen August 26, 2009 at 5:34 am

    ”‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.’” (Jeremiah 29:11-13, NIV)

  • Reply Genny August 26, 2009 at 6:58 am

    Loved this! Matthew 6:25 is truly one of my favorite verses and is very meaningful to me. As far as a verse that always helps me through hard times, I love Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

  • Reply Alex Hui August 26, 2009 at 8:34 am

    Sometimes it is not easy to face difficulties, and things won’t change easily. But I am encouraged Jesus’ saying from John 16:33:
    “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” Bonnie, thanks for sharing your spiritual rice. alex

  • Reply Annie K August 26, 2009 at 8:41 am

    My verse to hold on to at this time in my life is:

    1 Peter 5:10 – And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

  • Reply Annie K August 26, 2009 at 8:42 am

    Awesome post by the way. Everyone needs huge encouragement like this!

  • Reply Bridget Chumbley August 26, 2009 at 9:22 am

    I love this verse because it is a reminder that we can approach God, speak to Him, and know he hears us and will answer our prayers!

    1John 5:14-15 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

    Great post and thanks for the ‘reminder’!

  • Reply *Michelle* August 26, 2009 at 11:42 am

    Oh Bless you for posting this…….this was exactly what I needed to read today….(finishing up my pity party for one, lol)

    “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

    The Bible is the TRUTH……and nothing is too big for our God.
    thank you!

    xox

    Great giveaway! Thanks!

    michelle [at] ct.metrocast [dot] net

  • Reply Doug Spurling August 26, 2009 at 12:21 pm

    “Weary not in well doing, for in due season you shall reap if you faint not.”

    If you don’t quit you win.

  • Reply Virginia Low August 26, 2009 at 12:51 pm

    Thanks. I smiled as I read “Man shall not live by rice alone.” But without rice, we Chinese folks certainly don’t last too long! ; )

    My favorite verse is “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matt 6:33

    I love this verse because “all these things” included my husband Sam! ; ))

    v ; )

  • Reply Sherry Lin August 26, 2009 at 2:02 pm

    I have really enjoyed your posts, especially the ones related to child rearing 🙂 I recite a weekly bible verse to baby Jonah and the verse for this week is:
    “Rejoice in the Lord always again I say rejoice!”Philippians 4:4

  • Reply Billy Coffey August 26, 2009 at 3:43 pm

    You are so awesome, Bonnie. I’ve come across this verse more than a few times these past months:

    “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” ~ Isaiah 43:19

  • Reply Bonnie Gray August 26, 2009 at 10:15 pm

    What an awesome family fried rice this is turning out to be!

    Thanks for all the wonderful verses shared so far. L-u-v it!

    @Joe: Jeremiah had a good word, dude! I luv that one.
    @Genny: Matt 6:25 – you, too!? I get the feeing we’re on the same wavelength!
    @Alex: Yes. We will have tribulation. Life will bring us difficulties. Thnx for the verse. You’re welcome!
    @Annie: Restoration. Strength. I need that. Thank you.
    @Bridget: Oh, this is a gem, Bridget. One I don’t hear often. Thank you.
    @Michelle: Have you read my “Spiritual Junk Food” post? Pity parties are one of my fav indulgences. Thank you for Philippians 4:13.
    @Doug: Good one, Doug. Reap before we faint.
    @Virginia: No rice, no way, right? 😉 You & Sam are so much in honeymoon, even after all these years. Thank you for Matt 6:33.
    @Sherry: Thanks for the encouragement, Sherry. I’ll be sure to put in m parenting, child rearing posts in the mix, comrade momma! How blessed baby Jonah is, Sherry! No wonder his smile is so full of joy!
    @Billy: Score! You hit one of my top life verses!

    The Giveaway is still open until this Friday, 8/28 Midnight PST. So keep those Bible verses coming – and keep adding to the family fried rice!

  • Reply Twitted by TheBonnieGray August 27, 2009 at 9:19 am

    […] This post was Twitted by TheBonnieGray […]

  • Reply Jennifer @ Getting Down With Jesus August 28, 2009 at 6:35 am

    In all of the Bible, God asks us to “test Him” once. Just once. We are to “test” him in our giving. And when we do? Boy, oh, boy …. Look at what He says He’ll do:

    “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” — Malachi 3:10

    In these tough economic times, I’m gonna do a little bit of God Testing. And then I’m going to keep my eyes Heavenward, and anticipate a holy floodgate of manna-blessing.

    God is Good.
    All the Time.
    Even in These Times.
    God is Good.

  • Reply Jennifer Yen August 28, 2009 at 8:28 am

    One of my favorites:

    “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” – 1Timothy 4:12

    This verse reminds me to always set an example for those around us.

  • Reply Peter P August 28, 2009 at 2:42 pm

    Wow. You gave us a lot of spiritual rice there. That was a meal and a half!

    One of my favourite verses is Genesis 1:1 In the Beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

    We need to stop and think about that statement a little more often than we do. God created the heavens and the earth. All of it. From nothing. Yet he can’t help me in my time of need? Really?

    We limit God so often and so much that we forget just how mighty and powerful he is and how small even our biggest problems are compared to what he can do!

  • Reply Jeanne Damoff August 28, 2009 at 4:34 pm

    I loved reading your post and verses, and everyone else’s verses, too. Very refreshing! Thanks so much for doing this.

    One of my favorite chapters has always been Isaiah 55. I love the entire thing, but the first two verses apply beautifully to this discussion: “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.”

    Thanks again, Bonnie.

  • Reply Bonnie Gray August 28, 2009 at 10:21 pm

    @Jennifer: Good reminder: Eyes are on us, during these tough times. What example will we be?
    @Peter: Oh, Peter. I wouldn’t be a very good host without packing some extra to take home with you, would I? Thanks for bringing the gift of Gen 1:1 with you!
    @Jeanne: How wonderful to have you here! Thank you for bringing your favorite chapter for this family stir fry. How perfectly delicious and fitting it is for this post, Jeanne!

  • Reply katdish August 29, 2009 at 10:20 am

    My all time favorite verse is 2 Cor 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” An encouragment that He is always enough, even though I never am.

    And I hear you on the rice thing. You may have figured out by now that I’m half Japanese. My mom cooked traditional American fare, but we ALWAYS had rice with every dinner meal. Have you ever had spaghetti sauce over rice? Um…yeah. Weird.

    But what I remember most about my childhood is the family fishing trips where dad would get frustrated because mom kept eating the bait….

    (Snort! Little Asian humor there. But only Bonnie and I are allowed to laugh.)

    • Reply Bonnie Gray August 30, 2009 at 12:16 am

      @katdish: LOL! Oh, yeah! Yes. In fact, I have had spaghetti sauce over rice! CRAZY!!

      If we went out for dinner and they didn’t serve rice, the first thing my Mom would do after taking her shoes off was plugging in the rice cooker. At 10pm at night!

      Thanks for 2 Cor’s passage. So true. One I can never get away from.

      Now, our family stir fry is Chinese, American, and Japanese flavored. Yum, yum!

  • Reply Bonnie Gray August 30, 2009 at 10:40 pm

    Ladies and Gentlemen, we have plugged our entries in the random integer generator and the Gift Card goes to .. Drum roll please..

    … Joe Chen!

    Joe’s verse for our family stir fry is:

    ”‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.’” (Jeremiah 29:11-13, NIV)

    Yummy!

    Thank you everyone for your generous additions. I’ve been enjoying a it very much. So fun to cook together!

    Joe, I’ll be emailing you to ask for your address. I’ll drop your gift card in the mail this week. Happy shopping!

    Blessings, Everyone!

  • Reply Joe Chen August 31, 2009 at 4:10 am

    Hey, I never win this random drawing things… that’s SO cool!! I’m gonna start gambling now. Ha ha. Actually, when I submitted my entry I thought if I won, I’d give it to someone else since we don’t have a Safeway here. So please e-roll again. Love your blog!

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