Our Spiritual Senses

To be able to taste, smell, hear, touch, and see are vital God-given senses needed in order to be able to perceive external objects by means of impressions made on corresponding parts of our body.  When any of these are affected in any way, we operate with a real handicap as they can alert us to dangers and can assist us in determining what we may like or dislike, as well as function overall when it comes to our daily life.

Just as natural senses are important to function so too are our spiritual senses important for the spirit man to function.

TASTE:  When we invite others to try a new food, we'll perhaps say something like:  "Taste it, you'll like it."  Or with kids, I have used this statement:  "Just taste it.  You'll never know if you like it or not until you try it."  The Psalmist also uses this same approach for our sense of spiritual taste.  "Taste and see that the Lord is good.  How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him."  (Psalm 34:8 HCSB)  In other words, try and experience His goodness.  You will never know until you try it.  I know of no one who has experienced a "bad taste in their mouth" by "tasting" the Lord's goodness and His faithfulness.  There is nothing we lack when He is our Shepherd.  (Psalm 23:1)

SIGHT:  Our eyes are extremely important in order to help in everything we do everyday.  Often, what we see stimulates and determines some of our actions.  Psalm 34:8 also includes the spirit man's eyesight along with the tasting.  Paul's prayer (in Ephesians 1:18) was that the eyes of our heart be enlightened.  The heart (in this reference) does not indicate the seat of emotions as we more commonly refer to, but rather of thought and will.  Our understanding needs to be right so that we can fully comprehend all that God has called us to.

HEARING:  What we hear as far as sounds or other's words often affect our emotions and how we react (either positively or negatively). Paul tries to make a point to the Galatians (3:2) by asking a question:  "Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?"  Our faith and our choice to react in a positive or negative way (believe or not believe) is affected by what we hear.  We hear, we believe, and then we act based upon our hearing and believing.  It is God's Spirit working in us as our Helper and our Counselor by which we grow stronger in our faith.  "So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ."  (Romans 10:17 HCSB)

Strengthen your spirit man by exercising and increasing your spiritual senses.  When thing go wrong with our natural senses, we may not always be able to do anything to reverse that.  However, we can the spiritual senses by tasting more, seeing more (understanding), and hearing more.

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