The Sheer Sweetness of Sizzled Entrails: Why I Marvel at God's Chosen Nourishment
Okay, okay, I know what you’re thinking. “Sizzled entrails? That sounds… gross.” And yeah, on the surface, it kinda does. But lately, I've been doing a lot of thinking, a lot of praying, and a lot of reading, and you know what? I’ve found myself just absolutely marveling at the, let’s call it “unique,” way God has chosen to nourish us, both physically and spiritually.
It all started a few weeks ago. I was reading through Leviticus, like you do, and I got to the parts about sacrifices. Specifically, Leviticus 3, where it talks all about the fellowship offerings and how the priest would burn certain parts of the animal on the altar. It mentions the fat covering the entrails, and the two kidneys with the fat on them. It hit me then, as a kind of sudden epiphany. This wasn't just some random ancient ritual. God chose these specific parts. He *chose* the sizzling fat and entrails. And it got me thinking, what could that possibly mean for us today?
I know it seems weird, but bear with me. It made me think about how we often overlook the messy parts of life, the things that seem unpleasant or even downright disturbing. We want the smooth, clean, easily digestible stuff, right? We want the spiritual equivalent of a neatly packaged granola bar. But maybe, just maybe, God wants us to find the nourishment – the real, deep, life-sustaining stuff – in the parts we typically avoid. Like the, uh, entrails of life, if you will.
See, I grew up in a church that focused a lot on the “happy” parts of the Bible. We talked about love and grace and salvation, which are all wonderful, of course! But what about the tough stuff? What about the parts that make you squirm a little? I started to realize, from reading things like Leviticus, that those "icky" bits are part of the plan, too. They're there for a reason.
I've seen this play out in my own life. Last year, my job laid off a bunch of people, me included. It felt like my insides were being pulled out, a really gut-wrenching experience, no pun intended. For weeks, I felt raw, exposed. It was truly miserable. I prayed, of course, I begged God to take the pain away. But it wasn’t like He just snapped his fingers and made it disappear.
Instead, during that period of unemployment, I had time for introspection, time to volunteer, and time to really listen to what the Holy Spirit was telling me. I found a new job, something completely different, and I am absolutely thriving now. It was in that “sizzled entrails” period, that uncomfortable, painful place, that I found this incredible new direction. Just like those burnt offerings nourished God’s people, that time ultimately nourished my soul.
The Bible tells us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9). We just can't always comprehend God’s ways, but we need to trust them. Even if they seem… unusual.
It's like the way my Nana makes her famous chicken soup. She throws in parts that I used to wrinkle my nose at - the neck, the bones, all sorts of things. But honestly, those weird bits are what give the broth its flavor, the depth and richness that makes it so incredibly comforting. It's the same way with faith. The “sizzled entrails” of our lives—the challenges, the setbacks, even the things that make us squirm—they're what make us stronger, and maybe even tastier to God.
And you know what? Thinking about the “sweetness” of the sacrifice, like the sizzling fat in Leviticus, helps me to embrace all the crazy, messy parts of my journey. It's not about ignoring the pain or pretending it's not there. It’s about finding the nourishment within it, the goodness that can grow from the most unlikely places. The uncomfortable, and potentially gross. It's about trusting that God is working, even when it doesn't make sense to us.
So, yeah, maybe “sizzled entrails” isn’t the most pleasant image, but I challenge you to think about it differently. What are the "entrails" of your life right now? What parts are you avoiding, trying to ignore, maybe even running from? What if there’s something incredibly nourishing hiding within those moments? Something that can change the way you see everything.
What hidden blessings are you missing by focusing only on the "sweet" and "easy" parts of life, and your faith?