A few weeks ago, I wrote about going deeper. It wasn't until I watched Dr. Timothy Keller's sermon "Lord of the Wine" that my thoughts became even more clear. For my own thought process, and yours if you're interested in reading further, I wanted to share with you what I learned. The message is based on John 2:1-11 where Jesus performed His first miraculous sign of turning water into wine at a wedding celebration. Through this miracle, Jesus reveals many things including that he has a powerful sensation to offer believers.
As Christians, we are invited to experience God through a new sensory ability. Being filled with the Holy Spirit can illuminate the words on the page and reading the Bible can push you past just knowing to tasting and seeing the goodness and holiness of God. In his message, Tim references Johnathon Edwards in "A Divine and Supernatural Light" when he says...
There is a difference between believing that God is holy and gracious,
and having a new sense on the heart of the loveliness and beauty of that holiness and grace.
Like there is a difference between having a rational belief that honey is sweet,
and having the actual experience of its sweetness.
When we accept Jesus Christ as our savior and receive the Holy Spirit into our lives, we move into that sweetness. Tim goes on to say that it's one thing to know and believe God is gracious, but the first step in tasting it is you start to hunger for it, long for it, thirst for it. Second, you begin to delight in it. It's not just there for you to believe in, but it begins to ravish you, to delight you, and soothe you. It begins to satisfy and overwhelm you.
"My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you."
Psalm 63:5
In the words of Beth Moore, you haven't tasted it until you can say,
"because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you."
Psalm 63:3
Life can be hard, but with the Holy Spirit, we have power over our joy. Jesus sat there in the midst of joy at the wedding celebration sipping the coming sorrow he would face on the cross, so that you and I can sit in the midst of this sorrowful world sipping the coming joy.
2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."
Challenge yourself to go a little deeper next time you open God's Word tasting its sweetness and seeing His goodness.
As Christians, we are invited to experience God through a new sensory ability. Being filled with the Holy Spirit can illuminate the words on the page and reading the Bible can push you past just knowing to tasting and seeing the goodness and holiness of God. In his message, Tim references Johnathon Edwards in "A Divine and Supernatural Light" when he says...
There is a difference between believing that God is holy and gracious,
and having a new sense on the heart of the loveliness and beauty of that holiness and grace.
Like there is a difference between having a rational belief that honey is sweet,
and having the actual experience of its sweetness.
When we accept Jesus Christ as our savior and receive the Holy Spirit into our lives, we move into that sweetness. Tim goes on to say that it's one thing to know and believe God is gracious, but the first step in tasting it is you start to hunger for it, long for it, thirst for it. Second, you begin to delight in it. It's not just there for you to believe in, but it begins to ravish you, to delight you, and soothe you. It begins to satisfy and overwhelm you.
"My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you."
Psalm 63:5
In the words of Beth Moore, you haven't tasted it until you can say,
"because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you."
Psalm 63:3
Life can be hard, but with the Holy Spirit, we have power over our joy. Jesus sat there in the midst of joy at the wedding celebration sipping the coming sorrow he would face on the cross, so that you and I can sit in the midst of this sorrowful world sipping the coming joy.
2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."
Challenge yourself to go a little deeper next time you open God's Word tasting its sweetness and seeing His goodness.
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