Open, Cook, Taste, Repeat - Anita van der Elst

How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey. 

~Psalm 119:103 NLT

The text message came from a thoughtful and generous family member. I needed to be on the lookout for a box that would be delivered to our doorstep. Because it contained perishable food, it would need immediate attention.

This was a new experience for my husband and me. Inside the box were the ingredients for five separate meals for two. Each meal was bagged separately, and the meats were in individual bags as well. Included were colorful 8 x 10 charts with pictures and instructions for assembling and cooking the meals. Everything looked delicious. An exciting and nutritious culinary week for the two of us ensued.

But what if we had stashed the food packages in the fridge and never took them back out? And then tossed aside the charts, never giving them a second glance? What a waste of good food. We would have suffered physically as well without proper nutrition.

So why do we often put our Bibles on the shelf or table, knowing they contain great content, yet ignore them? The psalmist understood that God’s Word provided all the spiritual nourishment we would ever need and that it was also flavorful. In another place, he said, “Taste and see that the LORD is good. O, the joys of those who take refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8). 

Just as those meals delivered to our door didn’t do us any good until we prepared and cooked them, so too when we neglect to study and apply God’s Word, our souls won’t benefit from that goodness.

Jesus delivers wonderful refreshment in His Word. How do we expect to taste it if we don’t partake of it? 

Take time to open your Bible regularly and enjoy the feast.

Anita van der Elst finds joy in creating with words, believing God gifted her with the desire to do so. Married to her best friend, Edward, since 1976, she is a proud mom of four adult children and Oma to three of the most delightful grandchildren ever. Other joys in her life include bringing beauty to Facebook through photos she takes on her iPhone, exploring the state parks in the PNW, facilitating a small group of women, and participating in a Bible study.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.