My grandmother, Lydia, had a sister named Maud. Everyone should have an Aunt Maud. Aunt Maud lived in this huge, old house on a hill. Her driveway frequently was ruddy from the rain water washing it out. The aroma of her house, I will never forget. It was a distinct smell of freshly made bread. She was quite a woman. She could cook, bake, and sew. We all had at least one pair of her infamous “one size fits all” pajamas! I loved Aunt Maud.
One recipe that Aunt Maud passed down to my mother and on to me was oatmeal cake. Now, you may think that sounds kind of boring, unexciting, dull. But it was full of flavor! It is not hard to make, and it is OOOHHH, so GOOD! The topping has three ingredients: brown sugar, nuts, and butter. That’s it. The topping makes the cake! But you MUST use real butter. To substitute margarine is an insult to the cake and Aunt Maud. The butter with its smooth, slightly salty taste enhances the flavors of the entire cake. To use margarine would be a crime. It serves the same purpose, BUT IT IS NOT THE SAME!
In Deuteronomy 13, God speaks to us to keep true to Him. Even if someone speaks something that sounds good, that looks good; if it is not true to God and His Word, get away from it! In Old Testament times, they were actually instructed to stone the false prophet! Why? Because God knew the dangers of allowing just a little bit of false teaching in a person’s life. Adding margarine instead of butter ruins the entire oatmeal cake. God, help me to stay true to You and Your Word today.
Now, I think I’ll go bake an oatmeal cake. For some reason, I’m hungry for it today!
