May 11, 2020
Acquiring a Taste for God
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8
Today is our youngest son’s birthday. Caleb is 31 today. It is hard to believe he is already a grown man, married with two sons. Where has the time gone? In honor of Caleb, I thought I would tell a story about him.
Years ago when Caleb was a growing young man, playing all the sports in High School, he was constantly eating. He was very hard to fill up with food. He liked most everything, but there were somethings that he had grown an affinity to as a young child that he pretty much stayed away from.
One evening while he was home I began to fix supper. I had some fresh canned tomatoes and some little cocktail sausages. I fixed some rice and mixed it all up together. I asked Caleb if he would like some rice and tomatoes. He turned up his nose and said, “I’m going to play ball and I’ll get me something on the way.”
Peggy and I sat down to our supper. We ate while Caleb was either watching television or playing a video game, I can’t remember which. As Peggy and I were eating Caleb came into the kitchen and stuck his head over the pot of rice and tomatoes. He took a big sniff. I saw him grab a spoon out of the drawer and take a bite. He smiled and looked at me and said, “I think I’ll eat this.” He got a plate and spooned out a portion.
Now I fixed a big pot of rice and tomatoes. I figured we could eat some for lunch the next day. After Peggy and I finished we left to go and see someone. Caleb was still eating when we left. About an hour later Peggy and I returned to find every bit of the rice and tomatoes gone. Caleb looked as though he had wiped the pot with some bread. He had licked the pot clean. Peggy and I had a good laugh.
Now Caleb learning to like rice and tomatoes only took one taste. He just had to try it to find out he liked it. Have you ever stepped away from God? Have you ever lost your way and found yourself wandering where God was? It is not unusual for Christians to get side tracked in their walk with Christ. The world gets in the way and our own fleshly desires trip us up. We need a fresh taste of God’s love and mercy.
Maybe that is why the Psalmist said, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” I believe that if we really just dig into all that God has for us we will end up licking the pot clean.
Dear Lord, help us to taste and see that all you have for us is the best we could ever ask for. I realize that we get lost sometimes, but help us dig into all that you have prepared for us. Help us to discover the purpose that you have created us for so that we might enjoy all that you have for us. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.