Have You Tasted Him?

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Psalm 34:8 NKJV)

When I cook, unlike many other cooks, I don’t always taste the food I’m cooking, while it’s still cooking. I don’t have a “big spoon” to dish out samples to determine if the seasoning is right. I’ve been cooking long enough to know when the seasoning is just about right. And since I don’t use a great deal of salt or other “spicy” seasonings, anyone who wants to add some after their plate is prepared is welcome to do so. And inevitably, someone either adds salt or pepper to the food on their plates.

The amazing thing to me is watching people who add salt and pepper or hot sauce or ketchup to food without tasting the food, first! How on earth do they determine what’s needed to make the food more flavorable or palatable to their taste buds, if they don’t taste it first?

Now, I also realize that we cannot judge how food tastes by looking at it. Everything that looks good does not taste good. I know this from experience. But then if we’re going to judge a matter–rightly, we have to taste it before we commend or condemn it. I once thought a cake was going to be absolutely scrumptious–based on how it looked, bought a piece and gagged--trying to get it out of my mouth. And then, there are some dishes that didn’t look very appealing, but tasted like a bit of heaven and had me drooling for more.

We cannot always rightly judge how anything tastes or how good a person is by looking at appearances. I’ve known some suited-up folks who looked professional and smiled at all the right times, but they were the devil’s own and I’ve known some folks who only wore sweatshirts and jeans who were so kind and generous, they were absolutely unforgettable. Sometimes our eyes deceive us and we must take a closer look or experience a matter for ourselves before we judge it.

This is why it is so important for those who have experienced God’s goodness to have a testimony and can encourage others to “taste and see” how good He is. “He’s Sweet I Know” is a song, but it tells the whole story–sweeter than the honey in a honeycomb–that’s how good our God is. No matter what our circumstances have been or may be, when we look to Him for the solutions to our problems, He never forsakes us or leaves us with no direction.

We have to trust Him and the only way most of us will ever trust Him is by trying Him–tasting His goodness for ourselves, but we need a witness to encourage us to “taste and see” so they’ll know for themselves.

Let’s get out and encourage others who have been discouraged by the events of life to taste Jesus for themselves and know He is good and we can put our total trust in Him. He is not a man that He should lie nor will He change His mind about who He is in our lives; He is worthy of our trust, love, and obedience to His Word.

O Taste and See just how good He is!

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Chicken, Hawk or Eagle!

If someone was to ascribe to you the attributes of a bird—which of these would it be?

Are you grounded, digging in the dirt for what you can find to eat, being manipulated by others to be “a tasty meal” for all to enjoy?

Are you a predator, always on the lookout for that “live one” who’ll be your next victim?

Are you flying above the fray of everyday life, looking down, seeing what’s going on, but not allowing the events to distract or deter you, knowing that sooner or later, the predators will leave behind a morsel that will meet your needs?

Think about these birds. The chicken is food for the hawk and the hawk could be food for the eagle, but the eagle—soaring in the sky—refusing to be caught up in the mundane—seeks elevation for safety, but can hone in on the details below and strike with efficiency—what is intended for them to have.

Which are you? The mediocre chicken—just waiting to be eaten; the hawk who preys upon its live victims or the eagle—who can wait for what is rightfully due them when they can see it from above?

Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner?

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Peter reminds every born-again believer to stay alert clear-headed so we’ll know when we see the enemy at work. He identifies our enemy as “the devil”–the one who was thrown out from heaven–the one who was and is angry with God for creating us out of love (his creation was for function–the singing angel)–the one who has determined within himself to destroy all of mankind, by any means possible and he’s succeeding–at least with those who are not paying attention.

The devil prowls–-stalking those who seem befuddled and who stumble at the least bit of adversity and are not operating with a clear mind.

The devil roars–making enough noise to drown out a person’s ability to hear God clearly and what God is saying and unfortunately, many are listening to the roar that drowns the still, small voice of Holy Spirit, who is trying to protect us, but we do not hear.

The devil devours–with some people, he simply swallows them up whole–those who have never believed God, the work on the cross, or in the Risen Savior.  With others, he eats hungrily, ravenously, because he can’t get enough of the gullible and fearful and every time he devours someone, he is strengthened in his resolve to have us all for either breakfast, lunch or dinner. He seeks a weakness in our character and speaks to our minds, influencing thoughts and what we continue to think about we will eventually act upon and then once he has convinced us to live outside the safety net of those who are preaching and teaching The Word in Truth, he pounces–blinding eyes from seeing Truth and Light, and stopping up ears from hearing truth, tearing us from limb to limb and then he sits–only for a moment, licking his chops, enjoying the havoc and chaos, he’s created and when he has fully digested us, he moves onto the next person.

And this is why we–Born-Again Believers–must always be suited up, ready for battle–with our heads and hearts protected from the onslaught of negativity and rebellion fueled by the devil. Now, we’ve already been told what to look for so we can recognize the devil at work: he lies, steals, kills, destroys, and is a master of deception.  When we know The Word, have an intimate Relationship with the Father and Hear Holy Spirit when He speaks, we will never be food on the devil’s dinner table–we are neither breakfast, lunch nor dinner, for we are fully persuaded and convinced, no weapon (none of the devil’s attempts to cause us to fall) formed against us shall ever prosper!

Remember–the weapons we use are not carnal–man’s creation, but spiritual and they are more than capable of bringing down strongholds and overthrowing wickedness in high places. Stand tall, in full armor, with the shield of faith and The Word as sword–at the ready and move forward–knowing the battle is not ours; it is the Lord’s and we win–victory in Jesus!