photo credit: christianbook.com

“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” But what if I don’t sense the Lord’s goodness? Too often, my conclusion tilts toward – “well – God must not be good and the Bible isn’t true then.” Instead of the more obvious assessment that my tastebuds must be off. One of the best conversations I had with a new friend in seminary was when we discussed this verse and the fact that a prayer out of this verse must be, “Then, Lord, change my appetite! Teach me to enjoy you again.”

It’s not unlike the way my physical tastebuds can get spoiled by too much sugar and junk food, taking away my taste for what’s healthy and good. The few times that I have given myself a sugar fast, I was amazed by how much more I enjoyed all of my food – the healthy vegetables, for example, and the fresh fruit. And when I did eat something sweet at the end of the fast, I savored that even more so, too, because of the way my tastes had been “reset” as it were.

I think the proper prayer for my heart, and perhaps yours, is to ask God to help me to enjoy what is truly joyful. To reorient my joy and my attitudes to what brings eternal delight rather than merely temporary pleasure. As I lay down my life, I will discover true life.

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Read the rest of my 31-day free writes here. Six days to go!