Sweet or Sour

More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Psalm 19:10

A man invited his skeptical neighbor over to his orchard to try some of his prized apples. But his friend did not come. He contacted his friend and said, "I suppose you think my apples good for nothing." His neighbor replied, "Well, yes I have tried your apples and I think they are the sourest things I have ever tasted." "Oh," said the first, "I thought so. You see, I planted the sourest trees I could find around the outside of the orchard, for the benefit of the boys who would steal them. But if you come into the center of the orchard you will find some quality fruit, sweet as honey."

I read this story recently and it reminded me of the sweetness of being in the center of God’s will. It seems that when we drift from the place God calls us, we find things “sour” in every area of our lives. We loose our joy, our perspective, and our spiritual stamina.

However, when we are in the center of His will, we enjoy the intimate fellowship with Him that is “sweeter than honey”. Even when life is hard and we are faced with sorrow and hardship, we still find the sweetness of His presence invading our life. It is only here, in the center of His will, that the fruit of fellowship with Him overflows into every aspect of our life and affects the lives of others.

God’s plan for us is amazing really! He calls us to personal intimacy with Himself above all else, and when we are inhaling all that He has to offer to us personally, we find ourselves consumed with Him. We find ourselves ministering in the unexpected places and we see supernatural fruit flourishing in and through us.

What about you? Are you too busy to notice? Have you taken the time to stop long enough and examine what you are “feasting on”? When you survey your life over the past month, are things “sour” because you are choosing to venture into territory just on the outskirts of His will for your life? Are you choosing to eat of the fruit that leaves a bitter taste in your “spiritual mouth”? Or, are you enjoying the sweetness that comes from walking in intimate fellowship and obedience with Him? Do you taste and see the goodness of the Lord in YOUR life?

Take some time today to examine that which you are feasting on and either rejoice in the sweetness of our Savior and His nearness to you, or repent and take the steps back to the precious arms of the Savior who has never moved from where you drifted from. No matter where you find yourself today, you can find comfort in the reality that our glorious God, even as He produces fruit in and through each of us, both for our own benefit and the benefit of others, is always waiting for us to “taste and see that He alone is good”.

Lord, enable me today to put my own agenda aside long enough to evaluate the fruit I am bearing, as well as, the things I am “feasting” on. Help me to take the steps necessary to be in the center of Your will for my life, knowing that it is only there that I can taste the sweet fellowship with you and that others can taste and see Your goodness clearly in my life.



You can read more from Tammy by visiting Steps In Our Journey