Two Bites, Seconds, and God's Goodness

Being a southern boy I fall into the stereotype of liking green leafy vegetables, Turnips, collards,
spinach, etc.  I could eat them every day.  My absolute favorite is spinach fried in a pan with an egg cracked in while it's cooking and throw in a few dashes of salt.

My niece was over at our house a while ago and I decided to cook her my favorite dish.  As soon as I started cooking it she gave me the stank eye and let me know she was strongly opposed to putting whatever I was cooking in her mouth.  In my mind this northern child had been deprived of good southern greens and was going to take at least eat two bites.

When it came time for her to take her two bites with her meal she proclaimed my culinary
masterpiece as "yuck" and "groodey" and refused to eat it.  I politely told her if she ate two good bites I wouldn't ask her to eat any more.  Begrudgingly she took her two bites and I figured that would be the end of that.

After maybe a minute passed she asked in a sheepish voice, "Uncle Tim, Can I have some more of that spinach?"  I felt a little proud and then asked her if she liked it.  Her response, "No, I didn't like it at all, but God wants me to eat more of it."  I gave her all the fried spinach she wanted to eat!  She then turned to my wife and said in all seriousness, "God wants you to eat it too."  We still laugh about that moment in our home.

Psa 34:8-10  Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

God is so good!  So, so, good!  His ways are good and His motives are good.  Many people don't

have an accurate understanding of who God is but if they really got to know the creator of the universe they would discover a God who has loved them even before they were born.  They would know a God who has great things in store for them!  Just like my niece telling my wife you need to eat this spinach too so should we be telling our friends and neighbors about the goodness of God and testify to His goodness and grace.

Many times we also haven't surrendered areas of our lives to God as we should.  Yes, He is our Lord and Savior but many times we don't fully trust Him.  I know I'm guilty of that.  Are there situations in your life that seem hopeless or out of control?  Many time when I've been in a place like that it's because I haven't done things God's way or sought His wisdom and will.  When I repented and surrendered it to God His goodness shone through.  I know God will do the same for you if you would taste and see His goodness in every situation.

Pause and reflect on these two things: 

1. Who do you know that needs to taste and see God's goodness?  Who needs to hear the good news of Jesus Christ crucified and Him raising from the dead?  

2. Is there something in your life that isn't lining up with God's will?  Are your ways His ways?  What do we need to repent of and taste and see God's goodness in an area of our life.

God is so good He proved it to us!  Our Lord and God Jesus Christ stepped out of heaven to live as one of us.  He lived a life without the experience of sin yet suffered the burden of all of our sin past, present, and future!  The sinless and holy God experience sin for the first and only time and then died with that sin on His shoulders to pay the penalty of our judgement.  We deserved nothing short of death for our sin but God, in His goodness, choose to make a way for us to be reconciled to Him.  Be thankful and reflect on all these things this week!