Grace Next Door

Have you ever thought about how unique our taste buds are? What tastes amazing to you might taste awful to someone else. Some people love spicy food, others can’t handle even a little heat. Some crave salty, while others have a sweet tooth.

But here’s the truth: taste buds can change. Over time, the food you once craved might lose its appeal. That greasy burger you used to live for might now make you feel sick. The vegetables you once avoided suddenly start tasting better. Our palate can shift.

The same is true spiritually.

The Bible says, “Oh, TASTE and see that the Lord is good…” (Psalm 34:8). What we hunger for. What we crave in our souls, matters deeply. What we used to feed ourselves before we came to Christ isn’t going to be the same thing that we should be feed ourselves now. For instance, the things of this world like drugs and alcohol, lust, gossip, greed, the constant chase for more, it might satisfy for a moment, but it will never last. Jesus told the woman at the well, “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst again” (John 4:14).

See, once we receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost, out appetite begins to change. It changes our palate. Romans 12:9 reminds us, “Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.” When God begins His work in us, He makes the empty things of the world taste bitter, and He awakens a hunger for righteousness.

Jesus put it this way: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6).

Think about your tongue for a moment, it’s so sensitive it can tell hot from cold, bitter from sweet. James tells us that the same tongue can both bless and curse, and that this should not be so (James 3:9–10). What we put into our mouths, and what comes out of them, reveals the condition of our hearts.

Maybe it’s time for a reset. Maybe it’s time to let the Holy Spirit retrain our taste buds. To lose the appetite for things that drains our soul and leave us empty on the inside. To develop a craving for His Word, His presence, His Spirit.

Because once you truly taste and see that the Lord is good, nothing else will ever compare.

A Closing Prayer

Lord, I’m asking You today to change my appetite. Take away the cravings for the things that don’t satisfy and give me a hunger for what truly fills. Help me to desire Your Word more than the distractions of this world. Teach me to thirst for Your presence above everything else. Open my eyes and my heart so I can taste and see Your goodness every single day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.