I was talking, but not tasting.
My mother-in-law, Miriam, offered to make sandwiches for lunch. Of course, who can turn down a homemade sandwich? Munching through the still-warm grilled cheese, I mumbled something about its deliciousness and casually mentioned it would be better if it had ham.
I noticed her sheepish smile. “It has ham in it, Nate.”
Once I stopped talking, I could taste what I ate. Then the Holy Spirit used that as a teachable moment. I thought, If you had shut up and enjoyed the sandwich, you would have tasted its full flavor.
God immediately brought this verse from Psalms to our conversation: Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. I love how God invites us to be still, quiet, and rest in His presence. We realize His amazing goodness once we taste His serenity, even amid our hectic schedules and adverse realities. But we must stop ourselves.
With my sandwich, I had to stop talking to taste the ham. With God, I need to quiet my mind, get alone with Him, and feast on His savory Word. The Holy Spirit invades such times with the home-cooking aroma of heaven. That is when I must resist the temptation to insert myself and start spouting nonsensical stuff. God’s still small voice reminds me, “This is My beloved Son—hear Him.”
Everyone has stories to tell. Overflowing media venues are proof of much talking and little tasting. Stories, like parables, can provide earthly applications to spiritual truths, but I wonder if our propensity to share doesn’t stunt our spiritual tastebuds. God may share His unique sandwich with us for our spiritual needs and growth at that moment.
In those quiet sandwich moments, I get more insight into who God is and what He is trying to impart to me if I stop thinking and responding. He faithfully fulfills His promise to fill my mouth if I open wide. And savoring His feast is far better than talking with my mouth full.
Maybe it’s time to do more tasting than talking.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay and StockSnap.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
A lifelong student of Scripture, Nate Stevens has also enjoyed a forty-year banking career in a variety of leadership roles. He is the author of: Matched 4 Life (book and workbook), Deck Time with Jesus, Transformed: Until Christ is Formed in You, Conformed: Into the Likeness of Christ, Informed: Living by God’s Absolute Truth, and God’s Secret Place. He is also a contributing author on several of the Moments Books series (Billy Graham Moments, Romantic Moments, Divine Moments, Spoken Moments, Christmas Moments, Stupid Moments, and Broken Moments). He writes online articles for ChristianDevotions.us and KingdomWinds.com, as well as several other ministries. Additionally, he co-founded and leads Fusion, a Christian singles ministry. A popular speaker and teacher at conferences, seminars, and Bible study groups, he speaks on a wide variety of topics. Nate has two adult children. He and his wife, Karen, live near Charlotte, North Carolina. Follow Nate and find more resources at: www.natestevens.net