Ok, I admit it. When I shop at Costco, I really struggle to not take a detour down the aisle that stocks barkTHINS®. As a matter of fact, most trips I don’t even fight it. Like today.
Note that the front of the barkTHIN package says, “They’re thin, snackable . . . and packed with goodness!” I have no idea who handles their marketing, but they’ve obviously never eaten a barkTHIN. The package should say, “They’re so deliciously addictive, you’ll never want to eat anything else!” OR “These will make your taste buds melt into heavenly oblivion!”
OH, and the back of the package says that the servings per container is “about 11.” Confirmation that the marketing department has never eaten a single barkTHIN! No way!
Did I mention that I never liked dark chocolate before tasting a barkTHIN? (We can talk about my weirdities another time.) And now I’m craving it as soon as I pull in the parking lot!
There’s a lesson to be learned here – and not just for our taste buds!
“What you feed your mind determines your appetite.” – Tom Ziglar This recently tweeted quote jumped out at me. And I retweeted it with the comment, “Boy, does that relate to worship!”
Doesn’t it! We automatically are drawn to those things that we’re feeding our minds with. Good or bad. That’s why the Bible encourages us to feed our minds with “whatever is good” (Philippians 4:8) and “above all else, guard your heart” (Proverbs 4:23). Because those will be the things that drive our appetites. Determine who we become. And who or what we worship.
In Worship and the Word, I wrote, “If we could pray but one prayer, it should be that we would grow to know and love God more. When those two things are happening, all other aspects of the Christian life – such as prayer, obedience, serving, and giving – grow as a direct result. And that includes our worship life. True worship is grounded in the critical issue of knowing and loving God.”
When we are truly seeking to know God more – digging in His word and spending time with Him in prayer – then we will hunger to worship Him. As our God reveals Himself to us, there is no other response than humbly pouring out all that He’s given us back at His feet.
But when we’re not seeking Him – not growing to know and love Him – then when we come to “worship”, we don’t even know where to look. We’re not even sure what to think. And worship doesn’t happen.
When we don’t “taste and see that the LORD is good” (Psalm 34:8), we have no appetite for Him. And we have no true desire to worship Him.
We don’t crave our God enough to pay the price so we can taste Him one more time.
We’ve forgotten that the front of His oh-so-accurate package says, “His greatness is unsearchable” (Psalm 145:3), AND “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty” (1 Chronicles 29:11)!
And that the back says, Serving size: UNLIMITED Where else can you “taste and see” as much as your heart desires – with the end result that it only gets better! (No bloating!) He fills you up, but you never get full. You’re always satisfied, but never stop longing. And you never run out, because there’s always more of God. He says, “My child, keep tasting, keep tasting, keep tasting, . . .!”
That’s when the greatest appetite of the soul is truly satisfied. And that’s when we we’re driven to truly fulfill our greatest calling as a worshiper of the Most High God!
“Taste and see!”
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