Prophetic Pot Liquor

With the increasing volume of prophetic words being published each and every day, it can become overwhelming unless we read and listen to these words searching for a common thread. In the middle of all that is out there on social media and the broader Internet, the Lord wants us to discover a commonality in all that is being shared. Somewhere in this prophetic stew will be the core message the Lord wants the Church to hear at this moment in our history. No single word stands alone.

Both of my parents had their roots in the South. My mom grew up in Pineville, Louisiana and my father in Brownsville, Texas along the Gulf. Growing up in our home, I heard phrases not known outside southern culture. One of those phrases was, “Pot Liquor.” This isn’t the fruit of a moonshiner’s still. Pot liquor is the broth left at the bottom of a pot when all the ingredients had cooked down to create a savory liquid. A real chef would never throw this prized pot liquor out once all the ingredients had simmered down to this final goodness. It had an important part to play in the meal being served.

Historically, pot liquor was the result of boiling down collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens or beans. It would then be seasoned with salt and pepper and a chunk of smoked pork. The result is a soup base still used to this day by some of the finest chefs in New Orleans and throughout the South to adorn a filet of fish or a fine cut of meat. 

As a kid growing up and learning how to cook, I watched many a dinner prepared in a single pot like crab cioppino, red beans or meat stew. Whenever the solid ingredients of the meal were served, the meal would not be complete without pouring some pot liquor on top as the finishing touch. Only a culinary fool would drain this tasty essence down the kitchen sink.

There is an element of prophetic pot liquor in every season of human history. This is what the wise among us will look for in the increasing sea of prophetic expression. We save and taste this consolidated revelation in an attempt to define the times in which we live. This prophetic pot liquor becomes a condensed thesis statement of what God is saying to the Church and the broader culture. Some try to pick out and serve only one prophetic ingredient, but that singularity lacks the flavor contributed by other prophetic voices that make up the larger message God wants us to hear. 

As Scripture reveals a scarlet thread of Jesus from Genesis to Revelation, so it is in prophetic ministry. Any single ingredient or voice is not the whole prophetic message. It is only part of a larger delicious truth being served by God our Father. This message is what we are called to savor. Bon appetit!