Tasting His Goodness...

My alarm goes off...
and I open my eyes to SEE what time it is...
I reach over and TOUCH the snooze button...
just hoping to grab a few more stolen moments of sleep...
But then I listen and I HEAR it...
the sounds of morning...
birds in the trees... calling & answering...
So, I arise... and then I SMELL it...
the aroma of freshly brewed coffee...
I pour myself a cup, peel a banana,
and sit down to TASTE my breakfast...

And then I realize...
that in just a few moments...
I have engaged my senses to
experience my physical world...
with hardly any effort at all

It is so easy to experience the physical...
the natural...
but what about the spiritual?
How do I use my senses to experience God?

It doesn't come as easily as the physical,
which I often do without really thinking about it...
The spiritual requires more of an effort...
more time... more seeking...
Is that why I don't do it as often?

This is what plagues me today...
And I seek an answer to this question...
How DO I use my senses to nurture my
relationship with my Creator?

And I choose to explore this question
one day at a time...
one sense at a time...
and today it leads me to TASTE...

The Scriptures tell me to 'TASTE and see
that the Lord is good' (Ps. 34:8) and they tell
me that His words should be sweet to my
TASTE (Ps. 119;103) and that I can TASTE
of His kindness (1 Pet. 2:3)

I consider this in light of my natural, physical world...
Daily I choose what I will taste,
and I often eat without really paying attention
to the food... and often I make bad food choices...
Much of what I choose is either quick & easy
or something that brings pleasure to my taste buds...

These considerations tend to outweigh what should be
the more important criteria...
is this what my body needs?
will this bring nourishment to me?

Is that the way I am with God...
looking for a quick & easy way to taste His goodness?
picking and choosing what I will taste and partake of
         based on my preferences?

This tasting is about a choice...
what I CHOOSE to partake of...

Do I choose to partake of Him
more than I choose to partake of other things?
Do I choose to taste of His goodness when the
tasting is hard... and when it requires time & effort?"
Do I choose to TASTE from the whole of His Word
or do I want to pick and choose the parts that are
easy for me to digest?

With my food choices, it is possible for me to eat
things that are not good for me...
With God,
this is not the case...
it is ALL good for me

If I am truly willing to explore Him in this manner,
I must admit that some of what I TASTE
I may not like...
But ultimately it is ALWAYS good for me...
Actually, it is always the BEST for me...

It may not seem good in the moment...
and when it doesn't...
I must still make the hard choice...
to take Him at His Word...
to TASTE (and see) that the Lord is GOOD...

Help me to taste of You, O LORD....