THE TASTE BERRY
Psalm 40:3
“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.”
“Ugh!” Jeremy said, spitting out a mouthful into his napkin. “That’s disgusting!”
“What?” Brad wondered.
“The sandwich Mom made me is awful!” Jeremy picked out his apple, balled up the lunch bag, and tossed it into the trash.
“Maybe your sandwich went bad, like because it was out of the refrigerator too long?” Brad suggested.
Did you ever hear the phrase, “it left a sour taste in his mouth?” This can mean anything that went wrong. The person is left feeling robbed, and grumpy. After a “sour” taste coats one’s taste buds, nothing afterward is any good. But just because Jeremy’s sandwich was awful, his day can proceed without a sour attitude. His day isn’t wasted. It’s his choice.
There is a fruit in Africa called the Taste Berry. These little beauties alter a person’s taste buds for many hours after eating them—so that whatever is eaten afterwards tastes sweet.
Wouldn’t it be cool to eat a taste berry before you’re forced to eat something that you hate? Well, consider that praise is the taste berry that alters a Christian’s life. After one thing goes wrong in your day, gulp a taste berry. See if the world doesn’t change immediately…from downer to upper. It’s all about attitude, Jeremy.
But there’s more concerning taste berries. When we start our prayers with praise, suddenly our focus isn’t on the issues we’re praying about. Praising God reminds us of all the things that we have to thank Him for. And isn’t it interesting that salvation and forgiveness of sins come to mind at the end of our list? “Things” usually are what we name first—rather than people, and eternal gifts. How about God’s faithful undying love for us?
By the time we add, “Your will be done,” our trials seem manageable. How does that work? Boy, those taste berries sure are powerful! Ending our prayers with praise shores up the fact that regardless of what we’re going through, God deserves all the glory and honor. Just for creating us, and for endless blessings—He’s all that—and bigger than our greatest need.
Yeah, “taste berries” can transform more than our taste buds!
Take Home Nugget
Let’s check out Jeremy’s attitude now. “Thanks for splitting your sandwich with me, Brad.”
“No prob. Do you want one of my cookies?”
“Sure. Thanks! Today’s a perfect day for football practice. We’re getting better every game.”
“Yeah, we may even go all the way!”
Sweetening our prayers with praise
Alters outlook and attitude.
Thanks are easy words to raise
God smiles when hearing our gratitude.
Devoted to Berry Dries Kleintop, my Mother.
J.D. Griffith
A personal, private lesson experience with our staff
Written for http://www.biblestudyforkids.com/
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment