"Taste and see that the LORD is good."
-Psalm 34:8
You know, I remember a time when I didn't like and didn't understand the logic for pumpkin pie. I mean, other pies made sense: apple pie, cherry pie, key lime pie - these fruits were appropriate for pie creation. But, PUMPKIN...! You carve pumpkins for Halloween - you roll them around in pumpkin patches - they scare the woo-ha out of you sometimes in movies. But, pumpkin pie ... I shuddered at the thought. And, we would always have pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving meals and I would always stay a safe distance away from it. But, one time during our one of our family Thanksgiving get-togethers, someone in our family said, "Come on, just give this pie a taste. You're not going to like it if you don't try it. If you pass out, don't worry, we'll call an ambulance." So, I built up the courage and intestinal fortitude to take a slice of the pumpkin pie and give it a taste ... and, MAN, it was good! What have I been missing all my life?! Now I can't get enough and look forward to dessert on Thanksgiving. In fact, the day after Thanksgiving, many supermarkets sell their leftover pumpkin pies for ridiculously cheap (just to get rid of them), like 49 cents each. Whereas most people will be lining up on Black Friday at Best Buy or the mall to get a head-start on Christmas shopping and sales, you are sure to find me at the local King Kullen, rolling out of the store with 10 to 15 pumpkin pies. (Ok, maybe not that many, but I stock up for the harsh winter ahead... ;) )
But, if I didn't take that taste, I would never have known how good the pie was. Psalm 34:8 is exactly the same idea. All you need is a "taste" of God to experience how good ... no, how GREAT God really is. Some people think that God is too restrictive in terms of how one can live. Others assume that having God control their lives will lead to a mundane, boring, joyless way of life. But, how do you know unless if you experience it for yourself? Assumptions will never give the complete picture; personal experience and witnessing of the love of God reveal the true liberation of one's life. By sampling His word and truly making a commitment to have a personal relationship with Jesus and His Father, that initial taste will have you wanting more ... needing more. The joy, the love, the freedom that flows into your life is something that you will not be able to get enough of. You will want to go back to the Source of your life, your needs and your salvation to satisfy that hunger within you. When you just taste of what the Lord has done and will do for you, you will not turn back to your old ways. You will see the goodness of God.
God only wants what is good for us. He is our Father in heaven. If you yield to Him, you will be fulfilled by Him. And realize this: though pumpkin pies may cost 49 cents the day after Thanksgiving, God's goodness is available for you free of charge. Your salvation has been paid in full. The following hymn tells it like it is:
-Psalm 34:8
You know, I remember a time when I didn't like and didn't understand the logic for pumpkin pie. I mean, other pies made sense: apple pie, cherry pie, key lime pie - these fruits were appropriate for pie creation. But, PUMPKIN...! You carve pumpkins for Halloween - you roll them around in pumpkin patches - they scare the woo-ha out of you sometimes in movies. But, pumpkin pie ... I shuddered at the thought. And, we would always have pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving meals and I would always stay a safe distance away from it. But, one time during our one of our family Thanksgiving get-togethers, someone in our family said, "Come on, just give this pie a taste. You're not going to like it if you don't try it. If you pass out, don't worry, we'll call an ambulance." So, I built up the courage and intestinal fortitude to take a slice of the pumpkin pie and give it a taste ... and, MAN, it was good! What have I been missing all my life?! Now I can't get enough and look forward to dessert on Thanksgiving. In fact, the day after Thanksgiving, many supermarkets sell their leftover pumpkin pies for ridiculously cheap (just to get rid of them), like 49 cents each. Whereas most people will be lining up on Black Friday at Best Buy or the mall to get a head-start on Christmas shopping and sales, you are sure to find me at the local King Kullen, rolling out of the store with 10 to 15 pumpkin pies. (Ok, maybe not that many, but I stock up for the harsh winter ahead... ;) )
But, if I didn't take that taste, I would never have known how good the pie was. Psalm 34:8 is exactly the same idea. All you need is a "taste" of God to experience how good ... no, how GREAT God really is. Some people think that God is too restrictive in terms of how one can live. Others assume that having God control their lives will lead to a mundane, boring, joyless way of life. But, how do you know unless if you experience it for yourself? Assumptions will never give the complete picture; personal experience and witnessing of the love of God reveal the true liberation of one's life. By sampling His word and truly making a commitment to have a personal relationship with Jesus and His Father, that initial taste will have you wanting more ... needing more. The joy, the love, the freedom that flows into your life is something that you will not be able to get enough of. You will want to go back to the Source of your life, your needs and your salvation to satisfy that hunger within you. When you just taste of what the Lord has done and will do for you, you will not turn back to your old ways. You will see the goodness of God.
God only wants what is good for us. He is our Father in heaven. If you yield to Him, you will be fulfilled by Him. And realize this: though pumpkin pies may cost 49 cents the day after Thanksgiving, God's goodness is available for you free of charge. Your salvation has been paid in full. The following hymn tells it like it is:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain -
He washed it white as snow.
All to Him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain -
He washed it white as snow.
