Taste and see that the Lord is good;  blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.  Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.  The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.  Psalm 34:8-10 NIV

The diet industry has been a booming industry for many years.  Countless fad diets have made their way through.  For years we were told to eat low fat.  They finally figured out that people eating low fat were just consuming high sugar.  Then low carb and high protein was the craze.  There is Nutri-System, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, and Atkins, just to name a few.  We all want to lose weight, but we want food that tastes good.  Now if you live in South Louisiana, you know all about food that tastes good.  I don’t want to brag, but I honestly believe we have some of the best food in the world.  The seasoning and spices that we use here, “ooh, c’est si bon” (it’s so good).  I love good food and I am blessed to have good cooks in my family.  But the reason that many of us have such a hard time with a diet is that the food is not so good or in French that would be pas si bon.  I can’t drink diet drinks of any kind or use any type of artificial sweeteners because not only do I find that they have an awful aftertaste but they give me headaches.  According to an article in Eating and Health by Angus Chen, the diet foods are not doing so well these days.  This is attributed to the fact that many get on these diets and are not satisfied with what they are eating.  They end up feeling deprived and cheat and therefore, don’t lose weight.  Many people have tried these diets unsuccessfully and now no one wants to buy the high sodium, low taste prepackaged food anymore.  These diets profess to be healthy, but people are finding that they are not as healthy as they claim to be.  So they are not as food for you as they claim to be.  Hmm, kind of like the devil with Adam and Eve, huh?

Now, in our scripture passage today, it begins with “Taste and see that the Lord is good”.  Just yesterday, my husband and I were talking about sugar.  If you read up on sugar, its scary what that stuff can do to you.  Now don’t get me wrong, just before I wrote this I had my cup of coffee, with, you guessed it, sugar.  But, I am trying to cut down on the stuff.  I have a six year old niece who really impresses me with the way she eats.  I took her to a local restaurant a few nights ago and she wanted a cheeseburger but did not want the fries that came with it.  Instead, she wanted a salad.  She loves broccoli and cauliflower and is willing to try most foods.  She’s not a picky eater and actually prefers vegetables.  She knows that she likes broccoli because she was willing to try broccoli.  Often times we don’t know if we like something because we are unwilling to try it.  We don’t try it because we are afraid that it will not taste good.

I wish I had never tried chocolate, but I did and I know that it tastes really good.  I also know that it is fattening, especially when consumed in large quantities.  But the great thing about God is that not only is life with Him awesome, but the more the better.  It doesn’t make you feel bad and it doesn’t leave a bad taste in your mouth.  For many years, I treated my relationship with God like this very restrictive diet.  I was afraid to commit to it for fear that I would miss out on too much.  What did I know?  Once I fully committed myself to the Lord, I found that I gained much more than I could ever lose. I haven’t missed one thing about my old sinful life.  That life left me feeling empty and exhausted.  I gained a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).  I gained unending joy (Isaiah 35:10).  Just as our scripture passage says, I realize that I lack nothing.  God provides all I need.  He is my shelter and my protection (Psalm 91:1-2).  I lack no good thing.

Just as many of these fad diets leave you feeling deprived, life without God leaves you feeling that something missing.  I call it a “God sized hole” in your heart.  There is only one thing that can satisfy that longing and that craving, and that is God.

Weight Watchers is the diet that has worked best for me.  I guess it is because nothing is forbidden and knowing this I don’t feel deprived.  I learned quickly however, that a bag of M&Ms will not fill me up for as long as a plate of chicken and vegetables will, imagine that.  Just like loads of sugar and junk are bad for our bodies, living in the flesh is bad for our souls.  When we eat sweets, we get a sugar high and then we crash hard.  When we live by the flesh, we ride high for a brief period and then we suffer the consequences.  But when we choose to live by the Spirit, we soar like eagles, we will run and not grow weary (Isaiah 40:31).

I encourage you to take a good look at not only your physical health, but your spiritual health as well.  If you have not tried life with God, then you simply must try it.  It is awesome.  When we live  life according to our fleshly desires we may try to fill our “God sized” hole with alcohol, drugs, sex, or food.  None of these things will satisfy us.  But when we fill our lives with the Holy Spirit we will realize that we are lacking nothing, we have all that we need and all that we want.

So, if you haven’t done this yet, try God.  Chances are you have tried everything else.  All other things eventually leave us feeling empty inside.  You will be truly amazed at how awesome a life lived with God can be.

Have a great day!