Experience God

We had driven north to see my mom. Pasties, like a meat pie wrapped in the crust, are a specialty in that area. We purchased a few to eat when we arrived. I was trying something quite different from my wife and mom. It was delicious. I had no desire to put ketchup or gravy on it, as many often do. I must say that I enjoyed every bite. My mom didn’t quite finish hers, so I chose to finish that one as well. If that had been the only one I had tasted, it would have been good, but mine was so amazing that the standard pasty fell short of expectation. I think in some circles, the concept of experiencing God is considered bad theology, because we are saved by grace and not by what we feel. I agree with that, but we can still know of God’s presence and leading. I think that there are many psalms that David wrote that spoke of more than who God was and what He did. Psalm 23 speaks of the Lord as our shepherd and the knowledge of all He has and continues to do for His “sheep”... us. The Psalm that really caught my attention was Psalm 34:8-10, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” Someone may put a wonderful meal before me with all the fixin’s, but until I actually taste it, I really don’t know what it is like. Maybe it is too sweet, salty, hot, cold, spicy, bland, etc. The same thing is true when it comes to faith. False prophets said many wonderful things that the people wanted to hear, but in the end, they were punished for not listening to God. David is challenging us to not just hear about God, but to really know Him, experience His presence, and see what He does. There is no shortage of lofty dreams that the world tries to sell to us... don’t be sad be happy... you have to look out for yourself... do what feels good... since God is love then He will accept what you are doing. David calls believers to fear God and that God will meet our needs... not to be confused with wants. To the non-believer, it is nonsense, but to Christians, it brings comfort and joy to the soul. Do you desire to know God so deeply that You taste His goodness? Father, I believe and trust in You even if I don’t feel Your presence, but fill my heart and spirit with the joy of Your salvation. Amen