Taste & See

Oct 5

I remember a prayer exercise I did several years ago in which we were prompted to repeatedly read a scripture, stopping to meditate on a different word each reading. The verse was Psalm 34:8 — “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”

During the meditation my mind settled on thoughts of how very up-close-and-personal the sense of taste is. Why did the Psalmist choose to use such intimate imagery? And speaking of intimate imagery, what in the world are we supposed to do with Song of Songs? Here’s just a taste (wink-wink) of what it has to offer:

“Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my beloved among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste (Song of Songs 2:3).”
“Your lips drop sweetness as the honeycomb, my bride; milk and honey are under your tongue (Song of Songs 4:11).”
“Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread everywhere. Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choice fruits.”
“I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I have drunk my wine and my milk.”

Wowzers! Seriously!

But what if at least part of the reason that Song of Songs is included in the Bible is to give us a glimpse of the romantic heart of God.

One of the best books I’ve read about this topic is Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge. In it they remind women that we are image bearers of God, the Crown of Creation, saying: “You were chosen before time and space, and you are wholly and dearly loved. You are sought after, pursued, romanced, the passionate desire of your Fiancé, Jesus…[T]his romancing is immensely personal. It will be as if it has been scripted for your heart. He knows what takes your breath away, knows what makes your heart beat faster.”

Meditation: Spend some time meditating on the astounding reality that you are the Beloved Fiancé of God—and He is even now romancing your heart.

Spend some time remembering when you have experienced the romantic, ‘wooing’ love of God in your life.
Consider how you may have received God’s love notes through:

The natural world
The beauty of art or music
The blessing of human relationships
The purposeful work He designed especially for you

Henri Nouwen says, “The unfathomable mystery of God is that God is a Lover who wants to be loved…God not only says: ‘You are my Beloved.’ God also asks: ‘Do you love me?’ And offers us countless chances to say ‘Yes.’” Consider how you might approach this upcoming retreat weekend as an ‘I love you’ to God?