God’s Flavor
Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
A few weeks ago, my wife and I went to the local Mexican restaurant and was having dinner. Upon completion, the server informed us that our bill had been taken care of. I asked who by and he showed me where the person had been sitting. I remember him, because he had come to the table behind us, and spoke with the group of teens, but I had no clue who he was. I was telling the server that it must have been a mistake, he must have meant to pay for the table behind mine. But they insisted that there had been no mistake. So I left them my name and number and told them that if they found out that it was, I would be happy to come back and pay for my own meal.
On the way home, I called my best friend and told him what had happened and told him that I must have God’s good FLAVOR. He went on to tell me that I mean, favor, not flavor. No I meant, flavor and quoted him our text.
A few days after, I went in and turned in my taxes. I was not looking forward to it, because I always have to pay and the past year I drew out a big chunk of my 401K to pay off some debt that I had accrued with the purchase of the new house we had just bought. My tax person called me and asked me a few questions and then went on to tell me the news. To the Feds, it was over $ 8,000.00 and the state around $ 800.00. I was like great. They won’t get their check till April the 15th. She went on to tell me that it was in the form of a refund, not a payment. They had took too much taxes out on my 401K withdrawal. Once again, God’s Flavor.
Now I have always been the person that will eat anything. The “Give it to Mikey, he will eat it” guy. My previous employer, would always have these meetings where they would go to some fancy restaurant and we could order anything we wanted. I would always try to pick out something that I had never tried. I have had bison, frog legs, rattlesnake, and I love escargot. The only thing that I found out that I absolutely didn’t like was caviar. If you have ever seen the movie, “Big” with Tom Hanks, you know what I mean. I spit that stuff out as fast as I could. Why? It didn’t taste good.
Now while I did eat and still will eat things that are not my favorites, there are things that taste better to me. Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good.
I have yet to meet anyone who has truly had a taste of God and regretted it. Hulk Hogan tasted God recently and with all the fame and fortune he received from being a professional wrestler, he stated, "Total surrender and dedication to Jesus is the greatest day of my life. No worries, no hate, no judgement...only love,"
So what are some things that makes God so good?
1. He shows no FAVORTISM!
That is the point I wanted to make when my friend was saying that I had God’s favor. He has no favorites. He loves us all the same.
Romans 5:6-8 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
He came and He gave His life for the worst person you know, as well as the best person you know. He didn’t pick and choice who He wanted to die for. He showed no favoritism.
Then I had some people who wanted to argue with me that He does show favoritism. The children of Israel are known as God’s chosen people and they are correct. He did choose them to be the bloodline that He would send His son Jesus. Just because you are chosen, does not mean that you are favored. The Jews, while chosen, to this day do not claim Jesus as the Messiah.
To receive God’s favor is to have the right relationship with God and that is available to everyone. Our text states, Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
THOSE who take refuge in him! I have three beautiful grandkids. And there are times that my son and daughter in law will not let them do things with me. He says that He is not going to reward them for being bad. He loves them, but does not reward them with doing things they want if they are bad.
Romans 2:5-11 But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will judge everyone according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.
2. Just because it LOOKS GOOD, doesn’t mean that it TASTE GOOD!
I can remember a time when I was in my 20's, I was introduced to this girl, and was told that they thought we would make a good couple. She was pretty for sure. She had won several titles in beauty pageants. So as far as looks goes, she had that part covered. So I asked her out on a date and we were set. Now I have always tried to be a gentleman and open the door for the ladies. So I did so upon my arrival picking her up. We had decided to go to a movie. Her choice of course. There was little conversation on the way there, but as I started to park the car, she told me not to park there. She wanted to go to the garage to park. I was parking at the free spot on the street, but I proceeded to follow her command. We parked and I headed to the elevator to make it downstairs only to turn around and find her still sitting on the car. She did not just want me just to open the door for her to get in, but she also wanted me to open the door for her to get out.
The movie was not my favorite, but it was better than trying to have a conversation with her. And so after the movie I asked her what she would like to do? She responded with, “I don’t know”. Notice I didn’t say that she said “I didn’t care”. I suggested to get something to eat. She replied that she was not hungry. Thank God, because I can only imagine the drama we would have had there. So I decided that this date was over and started heading to take her back. She ask me where we were going and I informed her that I was taking her home. She became furious and stated that it was only 9pm and no one has ever took her home that early. I lied and told her that she was a nice person but I wasn’t feeling it. Things were not connecting. She looked good, but she sure didn’t taste good.
We often make the same mistake. In 2 Corinthians 5:7 For we live by believing and not by seeing. Paul is telling us that we are to walk by faith, trusting in God’s plan, rather than what we see. Some translations state that we walk by Faith not by sight. Just because it looks good does not mean that it taste good.
But I have noticed that my sons and it seems like a lot of the younger generation want to chase the all mighty dollar. Going from one job to another, just because it pays more. You don’t hear of many people who make their job a career. They will work a couple of years at one place, but if something looks a little better, they are gone. In sports as well with the NIL deals. You see a player transfer from the school they started out, because another school offers them a little more money.
There is nothing wrong with trying to improve yourself and if Gods opens a door, walk through it. But I have tried to instill in my sons to find a job that they LIKE, and can make a living at. Who wants to work and make more money just to be miserable in doing so?
You see it with the marriages. Over half the marriages end up in divorce. (Including Christians) Then 67% of second marriages end in divorce, and 73% of third. The grass may look greener on the other side, but guess what. It still needs mowed. Now being divorced myself, I know there are times there are no other options. But the Bible says in Matthew 19:6 Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”
Just because it looks good, doesn’t mean that it taste good.
We even have it in our churches. You have people who hop from one church to another, because they got their feelings hurt. There is only one reason that you should leave a church. You should leave a church because God told you too.
I attended the church that my dad pastored until my early 30’s. There was some things I didn’t like, but I didn’t leave. There will never be a “Burger King” church on this earth. You can never always have it your way. But then I went to a different church to try to sell them a copier on a Wednesday night and it was too late to go my church so I stayed for their service. I came home and told my wife about the service, and told her we should try it some time. So here it was a few weeks later, Super Bowl Sunday night. We showed up with our newborn baby and they were all downstairs having a dinner. They went on to inform me that they were not going to have a regular service, they were just going to have a short devotion and prayer time and then watch the Super Bowl. I thought, Praise God. I like this church. But by Gods direction I did leave my home church and ended up working with the youth at the new church and became licensed and ordained and eventually the pastor and I served there for 17 years. I was not upset with my Home church, I was just following Gods direction.
But I have seen people who leave a church and follow the pastor. There is no chapter or verse that says, “Follow your pastor”. It states, “Follow ME, Jesus.” Instead of leaving a church because of a pastor, why don’t you pray for the pastor you have? Being a pastor is a tough job. You can never please everyone, so you just try to please God the one who counts.
Adam and Eve, thought the fruit looked good. But the end result was that it was the beginning of the end. God had told them that if you eat it, or even touch it that you will die. Just because it looks good, does not mean that it taste good.
3. How is God good?
This could be a never ending series.
In Genesis Chapter 1 after God created Earth and everything in it, He said in verse 31 Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!
James 1:17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.
You have heard the saying, “It’s all good”, but with God it is “Always GOOD”. Can you imagine walking around in a cool of the morning, having conversation with a living GOD? That was God’s plan. It was the sin and the disobedience that caused the bad in life.
So if it is good, it’s from God. But if you were to ask me to name one thing that is good about God, I would have to say it’s His mercy and grace.
Psalm 85:15 But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
2 John 1:3 Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love.
Notice the conditions. It’s for those who live in truth and love. Part of my daily prayers is that I begin with thanking God for His mercy and grace. We live in a world of entitlement. People think that they deserve this or that. I work hard. I was not dealt with a good hand of cards. I am better than that person. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
When I think of wages, I think about a paycheck. We work our jobs and we get a wage. So what we deserve, our wages, is death. Not the physical, but the Spiritual death by eternal separation from God in a place called Hell. But what we are given is a gift. Not that we deserved it or we are entitled to it, but the gift of eternal life with Jesus Christ.
In my life I have made lots of mistakes. Life changing mistakes. In life people have a tendency of remembering those mistakes. And Satan will remind you of those mistakes to keep you down. Isiah 43: 25 “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.
1 John 1:8-10 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.
God is GOOD! Taste HIM! Try it your like it.
