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Oh Taste & See pt. 2

Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him!

Glory, Honor, and Praise to our God! For He is good and HIS mercy endures FOREVER (to ALL generations). When I think on the goodness of Jesus my soul cries Hallelujah! I’m excited to share this place with you that God has had me in, with the hope/prayer that it will continously resonate to us-ward. I love that as the world is spiraling deeper into chaos God calls us deeper into Him (He= safety, security, fruitfulness, devine order & alignment). Last month we talked about how God has given us sense(s) to help us navigate not just our now but TO INFINITY And BEYOND (lol gotta love classic Toy Story)!! And when I say that word has been being tested, tried, and “trued” in me, oh my! Thus how I know God wants me to stay right there/here. And although it has not been easy, the fresh vision/outlook is well worth it! The word says ask and it will be given unto you, seek and you will find, knock and the door (Jesus) will be opened unto you (Matthew 7:7-8).

On that note πŸ™‚ in Ephesians chpt. 1 (verse 17-18) the Apostle Paul prayed that the eyes of their (our) understanding be enlightened; that they (we) would know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints through the knowledge of Him Christ Jesus. As with all of our senses/organs of perception, first & foremost they are for experiencing God! Eyes for seeing, a tongue for tasting/speaking, ears for hearing, etc.. As simple as that may seem it does take some time, attention, and effort to obtain & develop our spiritual senses. The Bible says blessed are those who see and hear (Matthew 13:16-17), and further explains that many desire it but have not obtained. The word speaks of how being like the world disables our ability to have good sense(s). I recall moments in my own life where I became so distracted/overwhelmed by natural things that it became extremely difficult for me to see, hear, and feel God (see 1 john 2:16). It was not until I made the decision to turn my mind back to God’s word and way that my eyes were opened. I’m so grateful for the Holy Spirit of God who alerts me to pivot when i’m off. Whereas our spirit may lead us one way, God’s spirit re-directs us into truth (Jesus). I just want to encourage someone who may feel like they are drowning in cares right now to cast (aka throw forcefully) them on Jesus through the power of His spirit because He REALLY CARES FOR YOU!

Let’s start by taking a look at the eyes. The word eyes translates ophthalmos in Greek meaning eye-sight & vision, it’s where we get our word optometry/optometrist from. It also interjects the words jealousy and envy which we will touch on a little later. As stated & reiterated above God gave us both our natural and especially our spiritual eyesight for first Him. In fact the bible states that we are changed into the image of Him that we see. Our ability to see God for who and how He really is will directly affect the way we see things in life. I remember looking down from an airplane flying over downtown Chicago, and those huge skyscrapers looked like tiny ants from way up there. When we allow God to shape our perspective concerning things especially the big and/or challenging things we can respond in a greater way. Because now He imparts Himself into us so that we can be transformed (Romans 12). Remember in the beginning was the word, and the word was God (John 1). But what happens when our eyes become fixated on things other than God? Well… it gives room for the enemy to persuade us in the opposite direction and our fleshy human nature to come in agreement and carry it out. We see an example of this with Adam & Eve in Genesis 3. This is where we get things like jealousy (possessiveness/obessesion over things), adultery/perversion, envy (desiring what belongs to another), and a whole list of other things that come with lustful eyes (see 1 tim 6:5-6).

Now let’s take a look at the tongue/mouth. The book of James (one of my favorites) talks a lot about the tongue. Chapter 3 verse 5 mentions that it’s a little member(part) but boasts a great deal and likens it to a small spark that leads to a great fire. The bible also says the power of life and death are in our tongue (Proverbs 18:21). Meaning we can either cause things to thrive by what we speak or decay. How many times have we spoken things that created for us a world of trouble? I have been learning to be more conscience of what I allow to proceed out of my mouth. Because at the end of the day if it’s not in alignment with God’s truth, it’s simply a lie! And my friend lies lead to bondage (slavery) and truth leads to freedom. This is why speaking God’s word over our hearts/minds, our children, our homes, our loved ones, our cities, etc. is so important. One day as I was in the midst of a wrestling match with fear/doubt/unbelief, God said to me firmly and in love, whose report are you going to believe…Choose? Two of my favorite passages on the benefits of taste are Psalm 119:103 and Matthew 16:28, i’m not going to type them out right now but I encourage you to look them up (you can also come check them out and download them on this months P.S. prayers/petitions/scriptures/songs).

I know we spent a lot of time on using our senses to perceive God, but i’d also like to share some other beautiful ways our natural senses can be a benefit in list form just for fun & reference P.S. I’d love to see a picture or clip of you employing any of these strategies we talked about today #glamchic, email them under the contact section or post under the comments.
Taste & See List: Look at the flowers, enjoy your favorite savory or sweet dish, go bird watching, sightsee in your city, drink a hot cup of coffee/coco/tea, go on a picture walk through your phone, eat an apple or orange….

XOXO,

K.Joi