"Learning to Savor: Taste & See" - Sara Kardas
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” Psalm 34:8
Early in our marriage, when my husband and I would go out to eat, I would often have to remind him of the important difference between simply “Eating” versus “Dining”. I don’t know if it was the remnants of the bachelor life refusing to be let go, but he would down a fancy restaurant meal in half the time it took me to simply put the napkin on my lap. I would say, “Take your time! Take in the atmosphere, the company, and really savor your meal, not just inhale it.”
In the years since, he’s become appreciative of this newfound skill. And, considering that it seems to cost a week’s salary for a nice meal these days, this feels more apt than ever.
Our world has never been faster, and I fear that the delight of savoring is becoming a lost art. There are endless voices and inputs wanting our attention. They promise excitement, instant fulfillment, and endless entertainment, yet somehow it all feels cheap.
It’s no wonder our walk with the Lord can feel dull in comparison when He is calling to us; “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10
Sometimes we aren’t hearing God’s voice in our lives because we have lost the art to listen. We are eating with God instead of learning to savor His presence and goodness.
Our minds must be trained, our focus set. If we don’t do this with intention, the world will. You are being trained, the question is to what?
Savoring Gratitude- the power of observation
Have you ever taken a vacation where the goal was doing nothing, for the purpose of rest and relaxation? If so, you know those first couple of days can be brutal if you aren’t prepared for them.
Due to our collectively over-stimulated nervous systems, what should be relaxing can often feel like low-grade anxiety and boredom. Surely, I should be doing something?
However, if you are brave enough to push through this, your brain finally slows. You start to soak in the sounds, the stillness, the beauty, and it all suddenly becomes delight. Simple things become joyous; a bird spreading its majestic wings over the vastness of the sea, the tender kiss of an evening sunset, or the sound of the wind as it sneaks its way through the trees.
Our minds must be trained to appreciate the goodness around us. Much like fine art, every brushstroke, shading, and color choice has immense meaning that must be seen and savored to fully appreciate its fullness and the artists’ intention.
”Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15
I would like to highlight the word, “Be” in the above phrase “Be thankful.” Period. Not if you feel like it, not when you remember to do it. Just be thankful.
There are many passages on thankfulness throughout scripture. What I rarely hear emphasized enough is the commandment side of this. Many times it’s framed as if thankfulness were simply a nice idea. “Let’s try to be more thankful.”
However, gratitude is not about our feelings. Feelings should follow actions, not the other way around. Meaning, when you choose to be grateful, you will eventually begin to feel truly thankful.
The world of science has discovered this too. In a PubMed review of sixty-four randomized controlled trials on gratitude, they concluded:
“…patients who underwent gratitude interventions experienced greater feelings of gratitude, better mental health, and fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression. Moreover, they experienced other benefits such as a more positive mood and emotions.” (1.)
Gratitude interventions… our world certainly could use more of those.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV): "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus".
Ephesians 5:20 (NIV): "...always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ".
Colossians 3:17 (NIV): "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him".
In these passages (and many more), the emphasis is in the discipline of gratitude, not that it’s a nice idea. And as demonstrated above, this is also good for our overall wellbeing.
How can we accomplish this? Start by training your mind to observe. Begin your prayer times with gratitude, every single day, being specific.
I love the idea of a gratitude journal or note on your phone, daily listing things that you can be thankful for. You will realize this becomes easier as you apply effort. Your brain will naturally start to look for the goodness in your everyday life.
Christ’s love for you is endless and His goodness is on full display everywhere around you. Even in seasons of hardship and deep sorrow, you will find rich glimpses of His love if you learn to look for them.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8
Savoring knowledge - Delight in His Word
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law[b] of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:1-2
It is one thing to know something, and an entirely different thing to delight in what you have learned. The entire chapter of the Psalm above gives us a roadmap for the blessed life. It describes for us the attitude of a righteous person towards God’s word.
Notice the last part, “…and on his law he meditates day and night.” Every translation I could find uses the word “meditate” to translate this verse. The Message described it as, “… chews on Scripture day and night.” (Chew fits nicely with our savoring theme, eh?). Both words speak to this idea of contemplating, ruminating, pondering, analyzing the word of God. The longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119, is largely recounting delight for the law of God. “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105
Why is God’s law delight? Well, because it first teaches us who our God is, His nature, character, and attributes. Secondly, it melts our hearts with the beauty of Christ’s finished work of the Gospel. It shows us how we were intended to live in accordance with our design. It calls us higher to holiness and blessed communion with our Creator.
If we are to delight, we must begin with knowledge. We need to first know it.
Have you read the scriptures cover to cover? Begin here. It is through a complete reading of scripture that the overall themes begin to emerge. You will start to understand the story of scripture more accurately and see the richness of God’s nature and His master plan unfold.
It is this understanding that leads us to delight.
Do you have a consistent bible reading habit? Take the time to truly meditate on the Word. Look up the cross-references in your Bible as you come across them, pray and journal about what you are reading. Discuss the scriptures with other believers. Consider listening to music that is set to scripture and sing it with your kids.
There are so many ways to build delight for God’s word into our hearts, we just need to be intentional. You will be surprised how it sets the tone in your home and informs everything else you do.
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. “ Colossians 3:16
Savoring His Presence - Train your heart to abide
How you think of the presence of God depends greatly on the background you come from. Coming from a charismatic background, I would often think of God’s presence as being at a church worship service, an altar call, conference or something similar.
While it is true that the Lord meets us in the gathering of believers, there is an arguably greater gift that sometimes is not always emphasized enough.
As a believer, you have been personally granted free access to the Father through the work of the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit. “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. “ John 16:7
Jesus is speaking here of Pentecost, where the Holy Spirit was poured out on the early church and given to all believers. This means that the very Spirit of God now indwells each and every believer. “Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? “ I Corinthians 3:16
This is good news! This means you don’t need a priest interceding on your behalf. You can speak to God freely and commune with Him anytime, anywhere, enjoying the enormity of His goodness and presence in your life.
However, do you take advantage of this beautiful gift? Do you speak to Him daily? Do you sit at His feet and listen? Do you offer up worship and meditate on His holiness, the richness of the gospel, His faithfulness to you?
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. “ John 15:9. There is power available to you, great power. Let us not neglect this beautiful gift we have been given which is the very presence of Christ our Savior.
Fill your life with worship music and prayer. The power of worship cannot be overstated. Have it playing in your home, in your car, while doing chores. Feel the peace, love and joy that comes ushering in, restoring your soul, and watch your heart begin to crave Him ever more.
The practice of savoring is ultimately meant to produce joy. Deeper than happiness, joy is a fully embodied feeling. It is accompanied by a deep calm, that “all is well with the world” feeling that is so hard to describe to those who have not experienced it.
Learning to properly savor the Savior means this profound joy, that the Bible tells us is our source of strength, is now mine. In deepest sorrow, it is this strength, the grasp of His goodness that will hold you fast.
“…This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10b
His strength for today is always on display, readily available to you to behold and to receive.
Will you partake?
(Diniz G, Korkes L, Tristão LS, Pelegrini R, Bellodi PL, Bernardo WM. The effects of gratitude interventions: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Einstein (Sao Paulo). 2023;21:eRW0371. Published 2023 Aug 11. doi:10.31744/einstein_journal/2023RW0371)