Let Them Taste and See

"Taste and see that The Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him." Psalm 34:8

I love trying new foods! They testify to how vastly creative God is and how generous He is to give our tastebuds so many adventures to experience. Every culture has something unique to them in the way of food, and I love flying to a new place from a seat at a restaurant instead of an airplane.

Sometimes tasting something new can be scarey, can't it? You don't know if you will like it, or if the texture will be agreeable, or whether the whole thing will make you sick. We tend to consider all the things that could go wrong and as a result, we often pass up a chance to broaden our food base.

  There is a food you and I enjoy everyday that much of the world knows nothing about. It's the sweeter-than-honey, bone-deep delicious, soul-satisfying love of God. It's strange and exotic to most people. They have never experienced it, and when they hear someone describe it, they suspect it's too good to be true.

  Sometimes, to get a person to try an exotic food, they need to hear that it tastes like something familiar to them. (I was reluctant to try frog legs till my Asian friend said it tastes like chicken.) This is where you come in. Your kindness to a misfit, your forgiveness to an offender, or your patience toward one needing extra time to get it right can be just the sample they need to encourage them to taste and see that the Lord is good.

 The heart is the  hungriest part of any person. Will you allow God to use you to be the bread crumbs that lead them to the cross and throne of Christ? Can someone say the love of God tastes like (your name) doing or being what their heart is hungry to feed on? You don't have to manufacture this love. You can't! You are simply a distributor of what God has placed in you. (Romans 5:5; 1John 4:19). He is your supplier.

You get the joy of serving up His love using your own unique recipe. How does God usually shine through you? Is it through your gift of giving? Is hospitality your thing? Maybe you are great at  providing a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. Whatever it is, nobody does it quite like you. Serve it up and don't be shy!

Warning: your lovees may be suspicious at first. Likely, every dish  of kindness they ever tasted has been laced with selfish ulterior motives and has left a bad taste. Give them time. Keep loving them in the way God has gifted you. The aroma of Christ in you will be hard to resist, but in time that aroma may may break down their defenses and draw them to His table of mercy.

Talk About It: Did anyone lead you to Christ by loving you first? If so, who and how?

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