Taste and See part 1
The more I kind of listen to other people's "religious ideas" the more I think we've really lost the whole point of the whole thing. Because it seems like "theology" has become "Don't make God any more mad than He already is or you're in big trouble." We misrepresent the gospel because we think scaring people straight is the only way to get them to do what we want. But here's the thing: It's not about getting people to do what you want. It's about loving people. And if you present a scary, angry God to people, they will run FROM Him instead of running TO Him. What I'm trying to impart into my own son is that when he gets in trouble... I should be his first call. Because nobody will ever be on his side like I am. Nobody will ever have his back like I do. And that's how our heavenly Father feels about us. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and didn't listen to His warning, and ate from the tree of death (the tree of knowledge of good and evil), they hid from His presence. Because they thought He was going to punish them. They were naked and ashamed, and they thought God was going to be mad about their nakedness. But the truth was, they were naked the day before and God didn't care. He never had--and never will have--a problem with our nakedness. And watch this: When WE had a problem with our nakedness, and tried to cover ourselves with fig leaves... even though He didn't have a problem, He solved OUR problem. He didn't punish man. He covered man with Lamb skin. With Himself. And then He drove man out of the garden of Eden--not as punishment, but to protect us from living forever in that "fallen" state. To get us to the place where, at the appointed time, He could reconcile us back to Himself through the finished work of the cross. A scary God doesn't do anything for me. That's my point. And I want to use two memory verses at the foundation for this Rant series. "Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?" (Romans 2:4 NLT). In the KJVis says, "...not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" It is the GOODNESS of God. Not the scariness of God. And repentance, for the record, means thinking again about something in light of new information. Basically, in this sense, seeing ourselves as saints instead of sinners in light of the finished work of the cross! So that's one of my building blocks. It is the goodness of God. When we see something better than what we have, we will want that. The grass actually IS greener on the other side. The Kingdom is available to us. It's at hand. Within reach. Within us! And the second memory verse is, "Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!" (Psalm 34:8 NLT). Seeing is believing. God doesn't expect us to blindly follow Him. He is more than ready, willing, and able to show Himself. Every time in the Bible that someone needed a sign from God... He was happy to provide it for them. It doesn't bother God to prove Himself. He knows who He is and what He's about. He invites us to check Him out, because He knows He will stand up to the scrutiny. Taste and see that the Lord is good. And then let that goodness lead you to repentance. To think again. To see--and taste--things as they truly are. Seeing is believing. What you see is what you be. Jesus said, "This is my body, take, eat." The way we understand God is by consuming Him. Getting what's inside... inside. To the point that it fills us to overflowing and comes out. Naturally. With every breath we take and every move we make. So don't try to make God into something He's not. Simply taste and see... that He is good!