Emeril's Sans Menu

David E. Crosby, Pastor
First Baptist New Orleans
December 18, 2007

We ate at Emeril's last night--and ate and ate. The couple who hosted us would not let us use the menu. Instead, they insisted, "let's have the chef decide what we will eat."

Actually, I did not know you could poach yucca. Nor did I know that caviar was crunchy or how delicious it would taste on lobster. And I certainly had never tried veal medallions laid over filet mignon.

The scallops were delicious with the shrimp bisque, that’s for certain, and they went nicely with the follow-up appetizer of yellowfin tuna on flatbread. The crusted sea bass was better than any fish could be, swimming in the crab sauce.

Desserts were light with six specialty ice creams, the house-specialty banana pie, a frozen lemon tower, and other delights I cannot properly identify.

All in all, we talked and tasted and munched for two and a half hours. Others might have stayed longer, but no one ate better.

I have concluded that we are served best if we let the chef decide what we will eat. I never had a meal like that one!

It made me think about God, laying out his spread for us every day. We treat his goodies like a crass buffet, picking our way through the offerings. We think we know what we want.

We ought to sit down and let the chef decide what we will eat.

The experience at Emeril’s turned out so wonderful because the couple we were with knew the executive chef. They were friends. The meal just got better and better as the night progressed and Chris worked to bless us.

God wants to bless us, too, with the best he has to offer. His blessings are perfectly designed for our particular needs.

Next time you pray, “Not my will, but thine be done,” don’t be afraid or dismayed. Instead, tell yourself, “He loves me. I’ll let the chef decide what I eat.”