Like most mornings, my 13-year-old son Jack, opened the refrigerator, poured himself a tall glass of milk, and sat at the counter to savor it. He lifted the cold, creamy beverage to his lips and took a hard swig…only to choke, sputter, gag, and swallow unwillingly to avoid spitting it all over the kitchen.
“Mom, what’s wrong with this milk?!”
I laughed and informed him that he had mistakenly grabbed buttermilk—the equivalent of sour milk–instead of his usual 2%.
While curdled, sour milk can ruin any teenager’s morning, it did have a purpose. In fact, that buttermilk was intended for Jack’s favorite Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits.
You see, buttermilk is perhaps THE key ingredient in these simple, flaky biscuits. No one wants to bite into a hard, flat, flavorless biscuit. That’s where the redeeming value of buttermilk comes in. Not only does it provide a slight tanginess that balances out the creamy butter, but it causes them to rise and get fluffy.
Similarly, Jesus purposefully uses the sour parts of our lives. The ones that look like, smell like, and taste like rotten milk. To those who believe and trust in Him, he promises to use our frustrating, sad, hard circumstances to create something more glorious than we can imagine.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus who suffered immensely and was put to death for his faith, says it like this, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17).
God is in the business of working out ALL things in our lives for our good and future glory. Not only that, our suffering can actually lead to blessings in other people’s lives and bring God glory.
Take some time this week to make these 5-ingredient biscuits with your family, remembering the role of the sour milk. You could enjoy them together around the table, along with a rotisserie chicken and a side like our Autumn Chopped Salad. If you really want to go all in on the buttermilk metaphor, use it in this delicious chocolate cake by Ina Garten, too. We make it each year as “Jesus’ Birthday Cake” at Christmas.
Then, I invite you to read through the story of Lazarus’ death and resurrection from John 11:1-44.
This narrative paints a beautiful picture of Jesus’ heart and good plan for his people. It shows us how he redeemed the sour milk of Lazarus’ death, transforming his suffering into great blessing for Lazarus, his family, and all those around him.
The same Jesus is in charge of your suffering, too. Like Lazarus and his family, Jesus loves you, is present with you, and grieves with you over the hard places in your life. He promises to take the spoiled milk in your life and turn it into something far better than fluffy biscuits—”an eternal glory that far outweighs them all”.
Here a few questions to discuss after reading John 11 together:
- When he first hears of Lazarus’ illness, how does Jesus respond? (v.4-6) Why does he do this? (v.14-15)
- What does Jesus tell Martha about himself? (v.25) What do you think he means?
- If he knows he will raise Lazarus from the dead, why does Jesus weep when he sees the pain of Mary and her family and friends? (v.35)
- How did Jesus turn the sour milk in this story into something far greater? How is this miracle a picture of a bigger spiritual truth?
- What is something that tastes like rotten milk in your life right now? Pray and ask God to help you trust his good plan for those difficulties.
Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients:
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour (it’s very important to use WHITE whole wheat flour)
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold butter, cut into small chunks
- 1 1/4 cup buttermilk
Preheat oven to 475°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut in the cold butter until it’s the size of rice. Stir in the buttermilk until dough forms. Do not overmix the dough or it will become tough.
Sprinkle flour on a clean surface. Dump dough onto the surface and knead a few times. Sprinkle a little more flour on top of the dough and roll out until 1/2 inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter or glass to cut out biscuits.
Place on the sheet pan and bake for 10-11 minutes. They will not brown on top, but the bottom will be lightly browned. Serve warm with butter and honey or jam.
By Rachel Tiemeyer
Rachel and her friend, Polly Conner, began Thriving Home in 2012 as a way to encourage and equip moms in the day-to-day struggles at home. Over the years, they’ve become experts at saving time in the kitchen and creating real food recipes for families. Because of their passion for meal prep, they jokingly refer to themselves as “freezer cooking evangelists.” They are authors of two cookbooks, From Freezer to Table (2017) and From Freezer to Cooker (2020), and have been featured on the Hallmark Channel, People Magazine, and many other media outlets. You can try some of their very best freezer meals here. Rachel lives in Columbia, MO with her husband and their three children.