O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! (Psalm 34:8, NASB)
Most of us are creatures of habit. We wake up at roughly the same time most days, try to get out the door at the same time, catch the same train or bus or try to beat whatever traffic we face. The same applies to golf. We have our pre-round warm up routines, our pre-shot routines, we even tell ourselves the same message before shots. But when our routine habits get interrupted, it often takes us some time to get back on track.
Such was the case for me this fall. We went on a family trip and upon my return home, I came down with a nasty cold, the kind that people don’t want to be around; so it was better that I remain at home isolated. All in all, I missed a bunch of fall golf.
Worse than that, though, for some reason when I go on vacation or get sick, I don’t always follow my normal routine with God. Not that he isn’t present; it is just that my time alone with him takes a hit. I get distracted by sightseeing plans or the house full of people, or the unfamiliar settings I wake up in. This is true however short or long the trip may be or however sick I am. It turns out that even my time with God is to some degree dependent on a routine.
He wants me to experience him, to catch a glimpse of him, and yes, to taste him—to come to understand, to see with the eyes of my heart, that God is good.Happily, one of God’s traits is this: No matter how long it has been, no matter how astray I have gone, no matter how sick or hurting or angry with God I have been, God is still there beckoning me to come to him. He wants me to experience him, to catch a glimpse of him, and yes, to taste him—to come to understand, to see with the eyes of my heart, that God is good, and I am blessed (and most at peace) when I get back to taking refuge in him.
In Psalm 34, David did not have a five-point gospel presentation all laid out, nor did he have a 45-minute sermon or even an 18-minute TED Talk. He simply suggested we “try him.” It is the complete gospel message in its simplest form.
Now that the holiday season with all its distractions is upon us, by all means take part in the festivities and enjoy all the delights the holidays offer. I hope you will pursue God and maintain your time with him during this time. But if your routine with God gets derailed a bit, know that God is still there and will be there when you get back on track. After all, he wants us to “taste and see” that he is good.
—
Bob Kuecker
November 27, 2019
Copyright 2019 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
Photo by Buenosia Carol from Pexels