May 16 Blessed #3 Take a Bite

May 16

You Have to Take a Bite

Ps 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good:

blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

The wooden spoon slammed against the table and then lay there. It represented the most fearful of all things to the three year old who was rebelling against the food before him. “I don’t like it” he sobbed. He wanted something else.

Our nephew was staying with us during his mother’s major surgery. He only took a couple days to figure out he was not getting his demand for something else.  I never demanded that he take a bite. I just gave him the option of eating what was on his plate or going without. After refusing to eat a couple times, he learned he was not getting something else and decided to eat what was on his plate. Meal time became a happy time and the wooden spoon disappeared.  

     You probably know of someone who said they didn’t like something, but when they tried it, they liked it. So it is in the spiritual realm.

     Now I am not suggesting that you “try out” a bunch of religions or denominations. What I am suggesting is there are Biblical principles that will bring greater happiness to your life, if you understand them and apply them to your everyday manner of life. But too often, we ignore clear, simple, instructions and wonder why we are not happy.      

 During my occasional visit to Facebook I am impressed with the negativity, bitterness, anger and frustration I see there. Then I see someone posting a prayer that God remove their bitterness, anger, frustration and the bad people who mistreat them. That is like walking across the sands of the Sahara desert and asking God “Oh God, please remove all this sand, and send me a cold mountain stream for my thirst, a big oak tree to give me shade, an air conditioned restaurant for my food, oh, and one more thing - a place to recharge my cell phone”

All those things are available, but not to people who want to live in the desert. The same for spiritual things. You cannot have the joy the Bible describes if your life is dry as a desert spiritually.

The word blessed means happiness on top of happiness. I think of it as double happy. Math minded people may see it as happiness times happiness. Our verse for today tells us how to get it.

“…blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Note that blessing is the result of trusting. If you trust Him you will be double blessed. That is our thought for the day. How do we trust God?  Or, how do we trust God more? What parts of our lives are not totally trusting in God?

Verse 4 of this psalm is helpful in that process.

Ps 34:4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me,…

The first step is to seek the LORD. He will hear you as he heard David. David came with a humble heart, he sought the LORD as the only means of deliverance.

    Our verse for today starts with instruction.

Ps 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good…

Obviously you don’t do that with a spoon! It requires a different kind of consumption.

Jer 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart:

Just reading your Bible is not enough. I know some people who are not happy and they read their Bible daily. Jeremiah “ate” the word. He took bite sized portions, chewed on them, swallowed them, digested them and they became part of who he was. The person who “eats” the Bible that way becomes the Blessed (double happy) man.

Even the Apostles had trouble understanding exactly who Christ was until their last meeting with the risen Savior, where he said

“…that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

The Old Testament may need explanation and careful study but there is much in the New Testament that is self-evident.

What don’t we understand about these verses?

 Here are things you need in your daily life.

Ga 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Here the Bible tells you what to think about.

Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things

Here we are told how we should live.

1Th 5:15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. 16 ¶ Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19 Quench not the Spirit. 20 Despise not prophesyings. 21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

If you lack any of these then the devotional thought for today is to “take a bite”, trust God and become blessed. 

Ps 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.