Taste And See That The Lord Is Good

Even through the busy-ness of the week, the Lord has been gently reminding me of the journey He started me on last week, delving into the senses. He's been calling me to partake; To taste and see that he is good.

In my life, I am constantly offered opportunities to partake of things. What do I choose? It says in Romans 14 that the things of the Kingdom of God are righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, and that we are to pursue things which make for peace. So...I can decide to be a partaker of righteousness, peace and joy. I can actively search out that menu for my life to make it a steady diet.

In the physical realm, I experience a wide variety of tastes and flavors. I taste sweet things, salty things, bitter and sour things too. I tend to prefer sweet and salty, and to avoid bitter and sour. In Hebrews 3:14 I learn that I am a partaker of Christ, if I hold the beginning of my confidence steadfast to the end. How do I hold steadfast? I believe it is by pursuing the sweet, being the salt, growing from the bitter and combatting the sour.

The sweetness of the Gospel brings grace, love and mercy, and so I must soak in it...pursue the active and living Word for my life. The knowledge of wisdom that my God holds for me in His written and spoken Word is sweet, not only to my spirit, but to my soul...my mind, will and emotions. And so I seek it out and cherish it. I sit at my Savior's feet; I soak in His Word. I communicate with Him throughout the day. I bask in His presence and pour myself out to be filled with His honey. The knowledge I seek is more than just information. It begins with the fear of the Lord and moves to an incredible intimacy where I am unashamed to share the sour, bitter parts of myself so that they might be made sweet.

It says in Psalm 19:10 that the law, statutes, commands, fear and judgements of the Lord are sweeter than honey...this then, must point to a God of mercy and grace, and not to a God who is aloof, or who with-holds affection. His correction of my bitter parts is still sweet...it is gentle, and always points me back to himself. With a taste so pleasant on my lips, I eagerly desire more. 1 Peter 2:2-3 tells me that my desire is for the pure milk of the Word which nourishes me to grow...my desire for Him is eager because I have, indeed, tasted that the Lord is gracious.

As I walk along my path, many palates, appealing and tempting, may be offered. How do I choose what to sample? Hebrews 5:13 says that as I exercise my senses by tasting the solid food of the Word, I am more able to discern good from evil. I harken to the warning of Isaiah who says "woe to those who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter". Oh, Lord, may my senses be sharp enough to selective of only the sweet things on the palate before me today!

What kind of menu do I offer to those around me? What are people samplng from my life? If I choose to speak life and not death, I offer sweetness to souls and health to bones in my pleasant words. But I also desire to taste of salt. I need to allow the salt of the gospel to preserve me from selfish ambitions, to help me be at peace with all. I must be the salt that penetrates for good.

And so: I pursue sweetness...I acknowledge my bitterness before the Lord and lay it down that I may experience His sweet transformation....I soak in Him that I might taste as salt...and I cover myself in His blood and put on the full armor of God that I might stand victorious against the sourness of the fiery darts around me.

And I pray, as Paul did in Phil. 1:9-11 that my love will abound more and more in knowledge and discernment, that I may approve the things that are excellent, that I may be sincere and without offense until the day of Christ, being filled with the fruit of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

I am a partaker of Christ, a partaker of grace...may others desire to partake of His table because of the invitaion that I give with my life.