Taste and see that the Lord is good - Ps. 34:8

Happy New Year, friends!  I hope and pray your holidays were sweet and meaningful.  Unfortunately, for many of us, some things were done excessively...this won't be my most popular blog...within our home or others!  Our psalmist, David, wrote this psalm during a time of great anguish...he was writing while being pursued by Saul.  Often, during our times of anguish, turmoil or busyness, excesses crop up.  Commonly referred to as "one of the seven deadly sins", gluttony is often associated with eating or drinking too much, but the truth is it could be the "overindulgence and overconsumption of anything to the point of waste".  I think of some of my cravings...what does my refrigerator hold?  Or my closets?  Or our garage?  I believe there is a lot of waste there.

A popular Facebook post lately has been an article written by Jason Todd called "The Socially Acceptable Sin".  He says gluttony is the "soul's addiction to excess.  It occurs when taste overrules hunger, when want outweighs need."  Yikes, he's really getting to the heart of America today.  He says:

"...the desire for "more" is not inherently bad, but it is often

misdirected.  What we need is a relentless appetite for the divine.

We need a holy ravennousness...There is only one infinite source

of satisfaction that can satisfy our bottomless cravings.  A taste

of His supreme grace is enough to lure an appetite long held

prisoner to lesser portions."

 

I have started Nancy Leigh DeMoss's THE QUIET PLACE for this year's devotional book.  This was her question to me today:  "If you had to boil down the greatest desire and longing for your heart to just "one thing", how would you summarize it?" (Ps. 27:4)  What does your checkbook show is a priority?  What does your calendar show?

 

I have written our verse for today on the chalkboard in our kitchen.  I want to be reminded that the things I crave, the things I taste, need to reflect my love for the Lord.. not my love for myself or my belly.  This is a good time for us to reinvest in good habits...Godly habits.  I, for one, want to be able to recognize gluttonous behavior and turn away from it.  Want to join me?

 

For further study:  Deu. 4:29, Deu. 6:5,  1 Chron. 28:9, Prov. 23:1-3, Romans 12:1-2, 1 Cor. 6:19-20, 1 Cor. 10:31, Gal. 5:24, Phil. 3:18-19, 1 Peter 2:1-3.

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly