Taste and See

I decided to move some of the articles and blog-type writings from my business website over to here. I figured they'd make more sense here - and it would look like I was more active with writing than I actually am. LOL This article has actually been reprinted by a couple of different e-zines over the years. I pray these articles will be a blessing for those who happen to stop by. - Heidi

Taste And See

As you know, this is the time of year for setting goals and making resolutions. Have you made any goals for yourself this year? Five years ago, I resolved in January to read through the Bible in a year for the first time. Oh, how the Lord has blessed that time! I had never gotten very far on reading the Bible before. Although I'd grown up in a Christian home, reading the Bible for myself was never stressed, but only mentioned occassionally as something I really ought to do. So, for the first time, I began to read the Scriptures all on my own. I had a "one year Bible" sitting around that was in the "New Living Translation". I'd been a little leary before about reading it, because I'd been told that it was *not* a true translation of the Bible, but only a paraphrase, and therefore not even really the Word of God! But I was determined to do something, and that is what I had, so I began.
Perhaps one could make the argument that the NLT isn't purely the Word of God, but I can tell you that for myself, it "woke up" my sleeping Spiritual senses, and whatever was God's Word still in it, soaked into the dry ground of my heart. Not far into the year, I found I had a hunger for more and more of God!
Finally, THIS was that "hunger and thirst for righteousness" that I had heard about and prayed for, and wondered why I didn't really have it! I hadn't realized that my appetite needed to be whetted. No wonder the Bible says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good"!
Since then, each year I have used a "one year Bible" and have read several different translations. This year I am reading out of the "Amplified" version. And I have found an incredible blessing! It iswww.oneyearbibleonline.com . There, I can not only read each day online and choose the translation I wish to read from, but I can even open up multiple windows with several translations and compare as I go! God is so good!
If you have yet to make a habit of spending some time each day in God's Word, why don't you check out the site www.oneyearbibleonline.com ? It doesn't have to be a requirement - just one more *should* in your day. Reading God's Word is not something to "check off" your list and "get done". God wants our time with Him to flow naturally out of our relationship with Him. His LOVE compells us to WANT to know more of Him. But at the same time, it is easy to get used to the diet of simply hearing God's Word in teaching from others, and never learning to feed yourself.
When my children were each babies, I used to be able to let them sit on my lap at mealtimes and they sat quietly while I ate. But once they got to be about eight months old, and I began to let them taste grown up foods now and then, look out! They couldn't possibly sit on my lap while I ate without getting their fingers into everything! They wanted to taste everything!
In the same way, we may not have a desire for God's Word or a hunger and thirst for righteousness, because we've never TASTED of it! God's Word is FULL of vitamins that we need for our Spiritual growth. His table is set for you and He's calling you to the feast!
Taste and See!Taste and See!