Taste And See That The Lord Is Good

When I was a kid, my best friend was a girl named Krystal. We spent every moment together, walking the neighborhood, watching movies, going to the races, the beach, or going camping. One day in particular, we got together to watch movies. (Most likely just Dream A Little Dream on repeat.)

At some point, we started getting hungry and so we found ourselves in the kitchen raiding the cabinets. It seemed like there was nothing that was either already or quickly prepared. As we turned to leave the kitchen, Krystal spied a crock pot on the counter.  She yelled "Mom made boiled peanuts!"

If you're not from the south, you might not know that people in the south really do boil peanuts. In fact, where I come from, boiled peanuts can be found at just about every farm stand or corner in town. They come in two flavors, plain or spicy. Many people also make their own, like my friend's mom did.

Before this moment, I didn't know any of the above either. They didn't really sound appealing but I was willing to try them. We each got a cup of peanuts and an extra bowl to discard shells.  I picked up my first wet, soft peanut and bit into the shell. Juice oozed out as I bit in. Once removing the shell, I bit into the meat of the nut.  I am pretty sure that I spit it out immediately. It was wet and slimy and soft and totally unlike any idea that I had about a peanut.

Krystal said "Maybe it was it a bad one. Try another one." So I did. Same process. Except this time I think that I chewed it up. It was definitely more firm then the last one and it wasn't quite as slimy. I thought to myself; "Where was the crunch? Is it supposed to taste this way? I finally said out loud, "Why on earth would someone eat these?"

Of course, she had probably finished half of her cup by then. As I tried to form my opinion of them, I decided to go back to the kitchen and look at the pantry one more time. I looked through everything again but found nothing. I finally retreated to the living room. I sat back down on the floor and forced myself to finish the rest of my cup of peanuts. When I was done, I got back up and got another cup, even though I was pretty sure that I didn't like them.

I am not sure at what point I developed a LOVE for boiled peanuts, but it happened. It even became my favorite snack. It just took a little practice to change my mind.

Here lately I've been thinking about how that compares to aspects of our spiritual life. Going to church, learning to rely on something that our eyes might not see, and particularly how it compares to reading the word.

Jeremiah 15:16 ESV says Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.

Not only does this passage reference eating the word but also notice that it says he delighted in them AFTER he ate them. The words became a source of joy. Maybe not at first and maybe not even during but he 'delighted' after he consumed them.

How many times have I picked up my Bible and thought "OK God, I will get serious. I am going to read a chapter every day until..." or I would commit to completing a whole book of the Bible within a particular period of time. Yet the moment that I would try to read, I'd pick up and endless genealogy in Chronicles. I was lost with who was who before I ever got to a passage that didn't list a name.

I'd come across passages, like the ones in Revelations that talk about beasts, bowls, scrolls and trumpets. I was so confused. Should I read this literally or is this a metaphor? Then I would read Mathew, Mark, Luke and John and it was like reading the same thing over and over. I was so discouraged every time. How do some people seem to have so much faith? And how come I don't get it? It just doesn't make sense to me.

But then-

I was attending a study with some friends about 5 years ago. It was a good mixed group. Some of us were raised to believe in God but we were young in our own faith. Others in the group were well seasoned. It seemed that every time I had a question about a passage, a friend would not only try to answer the question but he would also read from the commentary in his Bible. I'd scramble through pages trying to figure out what he was reading from. It was like a light bulb going off every single time but I could never find the answers in my own Bible.

Finally, I asked him what kind of Bible he had. It was a Life Application Bible. It had interpretation of what was happening in each passage. It cross referenced other passages to give you more details to the story. It had so many in depth biographies about characters in the Bible. I had to buy one. It was one of the best investments that I ever made. And now, even when I understand a passage, I look for the commentary because it is so powerful.

You might ask how reading the Bible applies to eating something new. In both scenarios, it was awkward and seemingly unnatural for me to want or even like either. But trying it again, and again, and again is what made each of them become something that I loved.

Psalms 34:8 says to Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

How do you taste something that you're reading with your eyes?  You profess it with your mouth. Proverbs 18:21 says that there is LIFE in the power of the tongue. You chant it to yourself in that moment of need. You share it with your friends when you've made a connection. You pray his word right back to God when you don't know what else to do. "Your word says 'X' and... 'I need it" or "I believe it" or "I have found it to be true..."

You have to apply it to your eyes, to your thoughts, to your lips, and to your life. You can't apply it if you do not read it and know what it is. And if you're doing neither of those, how do you know that God is good?

At some point a regular study wasn't enough. A situation would arise and I would use a concordance or Google to look up passages and interpretations of verses until I found one that either satisfied or convicted my heart.  I wonder what God says about this...

His word became so much more personal when I started trying to apply it. When I found it to be true; I did delight, not only in God but in his word. Then my desire changed and I began to enjoy reading the Bible in every other method.

If you're still trying to figure out how to like the Bible, I encourage you to ask God to make you like it. I'd also like to recommend that you pick out a Bible that you like. The one that I mentioned is a great one but there are other study Bibles. Also consider the translation. If you can't understand KJV, try NAS or NIV translations. Make it personal. If it's something that makes sense to you and if it's something that YOU picked out, you'll be more inclined to read it.

I'd also like to recommend that you pick out or even go to a Bible study. You can read on your own. You don't have to go to church or meet with a group. However, when you're in a group, you can discuss ideas and different interpretations and learn about tools. All of which might help you grow your own faith.

I know that I am on a church kick these days but I've really been surprised by how much I've grown to love it. I have recently missed 3 weeks between family visiting and sickness in our house. By that third week, I was literally grieving not being at church. If I go too long without reading his word or spending time with him, I find myself grieving there too. What is most interesting though, is that I crave all of it now; church, my Bible and time with God. But it first came, by the practice of....

The last thought that I'd like to leave you with is how the Bible compares to that crock pot. The crock pot was in the same room with us the whole time. We stood so close to it and yet kept searching and searching for something to satisfy our hunger. We didn't even notice it until after we had finally exhausted all of our other options. The only reason that I became aware of its satisfying contents was because someone else had been satisfied by it before and knew to open it up.

Matthew 4:4 (NIV) Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Have a blessed day y'all!! :D