A friend recently used the phrase, “the juice they were pickled in.” It struck me as the perfect way to describe what the past several months have been like for me.
In 2024, I came to understand just how deeply the Father loves me. He changed my life. I went from simply believing in the Most High to living in real relationship with Him—becoming part of His story.
It’s easy to slip into the role of a spectator in life—endlessly scrolling, passively consuming whatever the closest screen serves up. We get caught in the latest news cycle or convince ourselves that if we just had more information, more money, or more of someone’s time, life would finally feel full.
But where you spend your time is what shapes you the most. How do you really get to know someone? We’ve all been “pickled” in the juice of our upbringing—marinated in the values, patterns, and habits we grew up around.
Praise God if you were raised in a family that taught the Lord’s ways. Your life likely reflects the “juice” you were pickled in. But here’s the beautiful truth: when you receive the gift of salvation through Christ, you are invited to be re-pickled—in the ways of Abba—no matter what your starting point was.
This past year, I’ve been soaking in the juice of the Father’s love and delight. I’ve been steeped in His truth and justice, in the kind of love that pursues others with His heart. And I’ve been learning to love people in ways I never could on my own.
At one point, I felt gently convicted: I was trading my attention for low-quality nourishment. I was missing out on the rich, daily gifts the Father wanted to give me. You are what you eat, after all. And the Father offers good food every day—His Word, His voice echoing through creation, and the love of Yeshua reflected in and through others.
If you let the Lord pickle you in His ways—if you steep yourself in His presence and truth—you’ll be forever changed. Your path will begin to overflow with His gifts of salvation, righteousness, and deep joy.
A friend recently used the phrase “the juice they were pickled in”. It was an apt phrase and one that explains the last year months for me.
In 2024, I learned just how much the father loves me. He changed my life. I went from being a believer in the most high to being in true relationship with him and part of his story.
It’s easy to get stuck as a spectator in life. Find yourself endlessly scrolling through life. Consuming whatever is served up to you from the closest screen. Getting caught in the latest news cycle. Thinking that if you just had more information or more money or more of a persons time, your life would be better. Where you spend your time is what influences you the most. How do you “know” someone? You see we were all pickled in the juice of our up bringing.
Praise the Lord if you were raised in a family who teaches the Lords ways. Your behaviors reflect your up bringing or the juices you were pickled in. When you receive the gift of salvation from Christ, you have the opportunity to be pickled in the juice of Abba’s ways no matter juices you wer pickled in to start.
This past year I have been pickled in the juices of love and admiration from the father, of truth and justice that can only come from him, of learning to pursue others in ways that only the father could have stirred up.
I significantly limited my consumption time when I was kindly reminded that I was trading my attention for low quality food and nourishment and not receiving the gifts from the father that he was giving me daily. You are what you eat. The father has good food for you daily. Your food is his word, his voice throughout his creation, and the love Yeshua reflected in you and through others.
If you let the Lord pickle you in his juices and his ways, you will be forever changed. Your paths will lead to his good gifts of salvation and righteousness.
Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” —John 5:19
So today, take a step toward the Father—set aside the distractions, and choose to marinate in His goodness. Let Him change your flavor.
