The First Bite

Nathan Stam
Children/Communications Pastor

Phil challenged us this past Sunday to have heart surgery. He used the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch to challenge our church family to go and tell the good news of what Jesus has done. If we're not going and telling then something is not right with our hearts. I don't know how you felt hearing that, but it was like a punch in the gut for me. It's too easy for me to get complacent and exist in my comfortable circle of friends instead of intentionally looking for people who don't know God. To hear those words from Phil was both convicting and hard for me to swallow, if I'm honest, because he was right: there is something wrong with my heart.

How many times have I read God's Word, it's convicted me, and at first, that conviction has tasted bitter to my soul? It has, let me tell you. Most times I don't like what I'm reading (or hearing) at first. It's not until I stop and consider what the Spirit is saying to me that I can get out of defensive mode and transition into I-need-to-change mode.

The way I react initially to hearing truth that stings (or hurts) reminds me a little bit of Tobin, our one year old. He's at the age now where we're trying new foods and are attempting to expand his taste range from just dairy products (i.e. milk in a bottle!). He'll generally open his mouth for the first bite of anything, but his facial expressions after that first bite can be hilarious. We tried peas the other day, and he DID NOT LIKE them! It was evident that they were bitter to his taste buds. I wish I had a picture I could show you, but he starts to quiver and shake his head and screw up his little lips, and you better believe he's not going to open that mouth back up for any round green thing that we might try to stick in there! (You'll have to earn his trust back with some yogurt or maybe some cheese!)

God's Word, while its truths can be painful to swallow at times, searches out our hearts and leads us to life if we're willing to change. If we surrender ourselves to undergo some heart surgery from the Holy Spirit and get our priorities right. I love how Psalm 19:7-10 describes God's Word as faithful and delicious (not bitter!):

The revelation of God is whole
and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of God are clear
and point out the right road.
The life-maps of God are right,
showing the way to joy.
The directions of God are plain
and easy on the eyes.
God's reputation is twenty-four-carat gold,
with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of God are accurate 
down to the nth degree.

God's Word is better than a diamond,
better than a diamond set between emeralds.
You'll like it better than strawberries in spring,
better than red, ripe strawberries.