"MIKEY LIKES IT!"
Many know that I have an 18-year-old fur baby. When it comes to eating, Brandi has always been a very picky, toy poodle. I can serve her food that she has always liked or new food, but too often, she will smell it and walk away.
The other day, Brandi was in one of her finicky moods. I knew she was hungry because she ran to her bowl. But instead of chowing down, she sniffed the new food topper several times and walked away.
I retrieved my nine-pound diva and placed her in front of her food. She stood there for a while as if contemplating what to do next. Finally, she ate all the food and licked the bowl again and again as if to say, “I want more.” As I thought about her resistance to eating something new, it reminded me of myself when I was a child.
My mother was a wonderful cook and would periodically introduce a new recipe. If it wasn’t what I was accustomed to eating, I would curl my lip, politely fold my hands in my lap, and firmly announce, “I don’t want to eat this.” She would respond, “If you taste it, you might like it.” And then with a lilt in her voice, “No dessert tonight if you don’t taste it.” That was enough to convince me to take a bite, and most of the time, I did like it.
Why are people so hesitant in trying new things? It seems to be built into the DNA. Many of us do not like departing from what is safe, familiar, and comfortable. And like my resistance to trying a new food, the Bible, which is food for our soul, might present a challenge, because it is out of our sphere of comfort and what is familiar. Fortunately, God’s Spirit will help us navigate and understand His Word—if we ask Him.
When I became a Christian 51 years ago, I viewed the Bible as an overwhelmingly ancient and mysterious tome that gathered dust on a bookshelf. I had avoided reading it because there were so many things that I did not understand. Then I was gifted the Living Bible, which reads like a non-fiction book. I became so intrigued, mystified, and enraptured by it, that I would read it late into the night. Eventually, as I became more comfortable with the Bible, I transitioned to the New King James Version (NKJV) and the New International Version (NIV).
When we read God’s Word, we are reading the very heart of God. And yet, people have asked me, “In the Old Testament, why, if God is so loving, did He kill people?” In answering that question, I would tell them that there were those who refused to worship and acknowledge Him as the One True God. Thus, they fell under His judgment because they chose to worship idols of their own making. They were rebellious, disobedient, wicked, and immoral. Fortunately for us, it was because of God’s abundant love for mankind that He sent His only Son, Jesus, that whosoever believes in Him will not parish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).
The following characteristics of God are but a very few of the many wonderful and loving attributes of our heavenly Father, who loves us unconditionally.
· His Word lights the way and gives us direction (Psalm 119:105; John 8:12).
· His Word is living and active and discerns the thoughts and intent of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).
· His Word does not return to Him void but accomplishes His purposes (Isaiah 55:11).
· “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
· His Word is truth (Psalm 33:4).
· His Word brings comfort and peace (John 14:27).
· His Word defeats the enemy (Luke 10:19).
· His Word tells us of coming events (Joel 2:28-32; Matt 24:1-25: 46; Mark 13:1-37; Luke; Acts 2:17-21; Revelation).
The old saying, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink” does not always apply. This proverb means that you can provide an opportunity, but you cannot force someone to embrace that opportunity. However, you can encourage them to move in that direction.
A horse can be motivated to drink by adding a little apple cider vinegar or molasses to the water. A pet can be persuaded by sprinkling a small treat or “topper” onto their food. And a person can become encouraged to read God’s Word by starting their reading in Psalms and Proverbs.
Many items that we purchase come with directions. If we fail to read the instructions, very likely, we will not receive the full benefit and use of that item. However, the Bible is not just a book of instructions.
The Bible is God’s GPS that guides, teaches, helps, and encourages. And like a GPS that reroutes us if we make a wrong turn, God’s Word warns us of detours and dangers ahead and then reroutes us. But unlike a car’s GPS that is narrated by an automated voice, God’s GPS is narrated by His Holy Spirit, Who promises to lead us through life’s twists and turns and bring us safely to our final destination.
When I observed and waited for Brandi to eat, the thought occurred to me that God is constantly watching over us and patiently waiting for us to embrace His Word. For He knows it is the much needed spiritual food for our body, mind, spirit, and soul. Unfortunately, many who peek inside the Bible quickly feel intimidated and say, “This is just too difficult and complicated to understand.” But God promises that His Holy Spirit will give us understanding, if we ask, and then in faith, take that amazing journey with Him through His Word.
In 1972, Quaker Oats made a commercial for their Life cereal. Two brothers refused to try the new “healthy” cereal, so they passed it to their younger brother, Mikey, to see if he would eat it. When he ate it, they exclaimed, “He likes it!”
God encourages us to “taste [His Word] and see that the Lord is good…” (Psalm 34:8). After all, we might like it, and like my Brandi and Mikey, once we taste it, we just might want more.
PRAYER: FATHER, thank you for Your Word that tells me, “You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book” (Psalm 139:13-16 TLB). Place within my heart a desire to know and understand Your Word, which is a love letter to those who read it. Let Your Word be mana for my heart and soul. May Your Word be like a ship’s rudder that sets me on Your perfect course, charted uniquely for me before I was born. In Jesus’ name. Amen.