Hosanna Restoration Church

Many things this week brought me to this place of the taste of the Lord. There are so many other things that try to distract us from the simple truth that He is the bread of life. I received a letter from a young man in jail who suddenly came to the realization that he needed to get in the truth and stay there. I had some circumstances that were luring me to look at them rather than at Jesus and I had to fight to look where I knew the answers were. The final thought came as a result of my body’s reaction to food additives. Add those together and you find me thinking of tasting the Lord because He alone is good.

As I understand it, all of the extra stuff they throw in food is considered flavor enhancers. I am told that some of them are intended to addict your taste buds and keep you coming back. Well, when you are like me and those things attack you, it makes you cautious about all food. It actually makes you not to sure about eating anything that you cannot read the label on first, and even then I am a bit skeptical. Recently we went out to eat and I asked if they used certain additives in their food. The waiter came back and told me I probably better order off the menu as the buffet was mostly filled with the stuff. I chose to fast and pray instead, because I was not certain that they would be able to cook without causing me grief. And it never hurts to fast and pray. So in my case, the additives chase me away. I mean really, what is the matter with just good food and little salt and pepper?

Well, thinking of this of course brought a comparison with our spiritual lives. You know, Jesus was always making practical life applications when he walked the earth, and He is still doing it today by the Spirit in our every day lives. This is a bit of what I began to sense. Jesus wants us to taste and see that He is good. In the church, we have been trapped into thinking that we need to add something. Often times the additives become the focus. Is the building fancy enough? Are the people friendly enough? Do we like the music? Does the preacher wear the right clothes? How do we get people in? Why do people leave? Do we like the sermon or was someone’s testimony right? Do we have all the right ministry opportunities? Should we send the pastor to a church growth seminar? You can add to this list I am sure.

To all of this, I believe the Lord says what is the matter with the Bread of Life? Why not just enjoy the food that truly gives life? If people come for some false additive they may find another one somewhere else anyway. And what about those people who get frustrated with trying to keep up with the trends and quit seeking. The young man I mentioned came to the Lord years ago when there were books out predicting the date of the Lords return. He was scared he would miss the ride and so really focused on that. When the day came and went, he felt he had no reason to press on and so fell hard. Now He knows better.

There is nothing wrong with the extras as long as they are what the Lord wants, but there is problem when we start adding things or making things other than Him our focus. So lets be sure that we are seeking Him to make sure that our focus is really something He is directing and that it is not some thing that the enemy is using to keep us coming to him for direction. Yes, taste and see that the Lord is good. He is the bread of life.