As I was leading worship this past weekend the Holy Spirit kept dropping mental pictures of my children into my mind. I remember each season of their growth with great detail. The things I continued to see through my mind’s eye were memories of feeding them a bottle, giving them baby food for the first time, and then table food. At each transition I vividly remember how their eyes danced brightly when something new and tastier was introduced into their diet. Once they had a sampling of something new they didn’t care for the mushy bland food they had been eating. The new food was flavorful with seasoning and became all they wanted from that point forward. After tasting something new they had no desire for those older things any longer. Paired with those mental pictures were three words that resounded over and over in my mind until I finally shared it with our congregation. They were—taste and see. Simple but impactful as I instantly knew what the Holy Spirit was saying to me.
My children could probably have gone the rest of their lives on oatmeal, formula, or any number of mushy foods with little-to-no seasoning but it wouldn’t have sustained them. As they have grown, their bodies have needed other types of nutrients. As their teeth began to come in they learned to chew foods with a more complex make up. Do you remember when you came to the saving knowledge of Christ? If it was anything like my experience, it only took one taste and I wanted more. After a while, I began searching again because my initial experience didn’t sustain me. When my longing became great enough I would press through everything else around me to get what I so greatly desired. Eventually, I found that which quenched my thirst. I still find myself going back. The more I have, the more I want, and the more I need. Psalm 34:8 reminds us, “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” You are like a parent to the world around you. You hold the spoon to serve them a taste of our loving Savior through your words, actions, and deeds. Are you keeping Him to yourself or are you serving all that sweet gooey goodness to those who are hungry? Our world is starving and looking for something to fill a void only He can fill. Sadly, many choose to live on the crumbs of the half-baked ideals of anyone who seems to offer something that looks fulfilling. They will never know how good He is until they’ve tasted Him for themselves. But once they do, they will find nothing else will taste quite the same.
Closing remarks and encouragement: Have you truly tasted Him for yourself? The world is waiting…..they are BEGGING you to taste and see. You can’t share something you don’t have or haven’t experienced for yourself. Get in your word! Get in your War Room (or as the older saints refer to it, your prayer closet). He promised, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” [Jer. 29:13] They’re hungry and waiting on you!
Have a blessed week, my friends!