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Holiday Dinners

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh the joys of those who take refuge in Him.
Psalm 34:8



This week’s devotionals are centered around Thanksgiving dinner and food related things.  Every year I prepare Thanksgiving dinner for our family. It is my favorite time of the year.  The only focus is making the dinner and being aware of all the blessings from God.  As I prepare the dinner I continuously taste the foods I am preparing.  This year it was so difficult for me. I had a head cold and my taste buds were not working well. I had to rely on my husband for all the tasting.  Even though he is a pretty good taster I still was not comfortable with my dinner. Only when I heard from everyone that day that all was OK did I realize he did just as well as I would have done.


As I was thinking about writing these devotionals I considered how such a feast applies to my relationship with the Lord. The passage is referring to all of us when we experience an ongoing relationship with the Lord. We find wisdom and we are encouraged to find joy when we rest in Him.

 Unlike tasting food, I cannot expect someone else to let me know how good their relationship with the Lord is for them and be content with their experience. Instead, I have to experience it for myself. Although I could depend on my husband to taste the food and get it right, it does not work the same for him to taste all the wonderful things God has in store for me. It becomes individual and much more personal with God. He has his way of giving me the sweet blessings of Himself that are only meant for me.

God is a personal God. He knows each one of us from the inside out. We are all unique and He made each one of us a little differently. That is what I love most about my God.  He knows me through and through. He knows my personality, my motives, my reason for doing things, and most of all how He is changing me to be more like Him each day.

I must trust Him in all circumstances, trials, sufferings, and then I can truly “taste and see that He is good.” Then I will experience joy as I take refuge in Him.

Thank you Jesus for tasting so much better than any food and for being so good.

Sharon

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