Double Dare Ya!

The pastor called a young woman up to the front. It seemed that he needed a guinea pig for an illustration.

"Back home in the states," (this was in Mexico) "we have a kind of apple called a star apple. I want to know," he asked his semi-willing volunteer, "do you ever wake up in the morning and think, 'I'm just dying for a star apple?'"

The young woman stepped back from him, not knowing where he was going with this question, but she did manage to shake her head and make a face that smacked of a definitive "No!"

The pastor smiled. "And why do you think you never crave a star apple?"

With a tremulous voice, the young lady offered her perception of why this was. "Because I have never had one ... ?"

The pastor smiled even broader and thanked her for her help. As she walked back to her seat, he, scanning the congregation, continued. "Of course Sister Mary never craves a star apple--she has never had one! But those of us who have had one and have come to like the fruit, sometimes have a hankering for a star apple that no other fruit can satisfy.

"That is how God is. When we taste Him--Who He is, His goodness, His gifts--we come to realize how wonderful He is. Only then do we develop a longing for Him. That is why the Psalmist wrote, 'O taste and see that the Lord is good' (Psalm 34:8)."

I have never forgotten that illustration. It is as true now as it was then. People don't long for God because they haven't tasted Him. Oh, but once they do! That heavenly taste creates a delight in Him and a longing for a closer walk with Him! In fact, I've just had a sumptuous taste of a God-delicacy fresh off the griddle!

Just last week the pastor of our church called Dennis and asked him to minister on Sunday night. After his first bout of studying I asked Dennis if he could give me a "sneak peek" about the theme. Graciously, he shared that the message would be based on 2 Samuel 5:24; it was to be about the moving of God, like a wind, in the mulberry trees.

I got excited because I love, love, love this story. I could hardly wait to see how God had Dennis extrapolate on it. Little did we know that our area would be hit with severe weather--severe wind--on that coming Friday night.

Despite horrendous devastation--I'd venture to say that everyone in this area knows at least one person who lost their home and vehicles--God spared all but one of the lives of those in this county. To one and all, the storm made the strength and power found in wind a poignant reality. So when Dennis got up to talk about the move of God in the mulberry trees--a sound of wind that proclaimed something good to His children but something devastating to those who did not know Him--the words he spoke were uncannily timely.

Now, Dennis didn't know what would happen two nights before he ministered. Nobody did--except God! He knew what was to come (Is. 46:10), and He prepared an uplifting word for His servant to share that fit exactly with what all had just experienced. It was nothing less than goose-bumpy! What an amazing God! Coordinating Dennis's sermon with an event no one had any way of foreseeing! (Yes, the forecasters had said we would have sever weather, but no one knew how it would play out. You know the tendency of forecasts --they call out the worst than can happen but most of the time the weather doesn't even come near to the awfulness of what they have prognosticated. They simply can't forecast like God can!)

This taste of God and all He can do--it is better than chocolate--or any other yummy delicacy you can imagine! And it sure makes me want more of Him!

I could give example after example of good things experienced from the hand of God, wonderful things that make gratitude and love for Him rise in my heart. No two ways about it, when you walk with Jesus, you "taste" Him, you experience how wonderful He is.

You would think that once someone tasted of the goodness of God they would stay close to Him. Sadly, just as marriages fall apart, relationships with Jesus do, too. When I see seasoned Christians fall by the wayside, I scratch my head. Having tasted of His goodness, who would ever want to return to the vomit from which they came (2 Peter 2:22)?

But there is no need to fear that this sad happening will become part of our story! We can be of good cheer! We do not have to be of that company who turn away from the Source of all goodness. Yes, we might see some who don't finish their race with joy, but we do not have to be like them! We have a promise that says, "A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee"(Psalm 91:7).

So let's continue tasting of the goodness of God--walking with Him, loving Him--and invite others to do likewise! Just like us, their lives will never be the same!

"Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness" (Psalm 107:8-9).