Crave.

I really enjoy that words like "crave" and "taste" are in the Bible. There might be some hesitation or surprise that they're in there. Words like salvation and obedience and Mahershalalhashbaz (wink, wink) for sure, but for some reason words like crave and taste and darling maybe catch us off guard. In fact, as I write those words, I wonder how God is currently catching us off guard? You may want to stop there and consider that thought and discontinue reading. Good path. Perhaps us being "off guard" is a healthy way to encounter words like crave, taste and darling with our Savior. Yes, we guard our hearts as a wellspring. And, we can at times guard our hearts from God, buried in routine and predictable Christian behavior.

In his first letter to us scattered, chosen sojourners, Peter wrote, "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." There is a good chance that I am drawn to these particular words this week because we are intently waiting for baby girl to be born. And there is a good chance that you and I are drawn to these particular words because whether we think about it much or not, we crave. God invites us to crave. Certainly there are cravings that bring destruction to our soul and there are cravings that bring startling refreshment and invigoration when we encounter our Savior. Craving the startling refreshment of Jesus. Hmmmm. I want to keep thinking about that.

And so I did. I began to search the inner webs for writings about craving God and His word and as I searched there was some sense of disappointment about what I was finding, While I searched, I was aware of that nudge to stop searching and pay attention to the desire that I had from the beginning to write about it myself. And so I did.

I am so impacted that there is craving and tasting and darling in His Kingdom.

Crave.

My wanting is certainly tainted.

King supplies restoration hardware.

The Saviour’s invitation is not forced.

He frollicks in joy in ways that no tainting can swallow up.

His joyful frollick swallows me up; swallows up all taint.

I’ve wondered many wonders. "How can He invite continually?"

"Once for all. Once for me", He says.

"No more labor. It is finished."

“But my taintedness deters right?”

My beloved responded and said to me, "Arise my darling, My beautiful one.

Come away with Me.”

Sudden look of shock.

“But my taint?”

“Stop bringing it up."

"What taint do you hear in ‘Arise my darling, my beautiful one.

Come away with me?’

It’s not a Me versus taint contest”, He says.

“No contest.

I’m the all time, undisputed, undefeated champion of love.

I defeated taint.”

“Can I start to speak like that?"

'My Beloved is mine and I am His.'

"Oh yes. Like that.

Let me hear Your voice.

For Your voice is sweet.”

“And yours my love.”

“I crave your words.

I long for your Voice.

I notice I’m craving Your Voice."

Pure spiritual milk.

Ahhhhh. New focus.

There’s more.