Theme: Invitation to Taste and See that the Lord is Good
“O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.” Psalm 34:8
Thought:
Has anyone ever said to you, “You’ve got to try this (food), it’s really good, and you’ll love it?” There’s nothing like a good recommendation from a trusted friend when it comes to food.
I remember going to the wharf in Santa Cruz. Someone had told me, ” You’ve got to try their smoked salmon.” They were right, and it was delicious. I look forward to getting back there, and thinking about it now makes my mouth water.
A few years ago, my wife and I traveled to Brazil to visit with one of our missionaries and do some ministry. We were told, “Be sure to check out a Brazilian steak house.” Our missionary friends brought us to one of their highly recommended steakhouse restaurants and warned us to hold off on taking too much from the salad bar before the steaks arrived at our table. Great advice and the steaks were wonderful.
In both cases, the invites and recommendations were right on, and I’ve wanted repeats on all I tried.
King David gives us a personal recommendation in Psalm 34:8. “O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.”
So, how do I taste and see that the Lord is good? In verse 1, David blesses and praises the Lord. In verses 2 and 3, he boasts in the Lord and tells others of God’s goodness. In verse 4, David looks to the Lord, asks for God’s help, and is delivered. In verse 5, he looks to God, and the result is seen in a joyful face.
From these verses, I learn that to taste the Lord and see His goodness, I enjoy my relationship with Him as much as I can and in every circumstance. When I taste something recommended and delicious, I take my time and enjoy it thoroughly. I find it interesting that when David wants to encourage us to grow in our understanding and closeness to God, he uses something that touches all our senses. Taste involves touch, smell, feeling, and lingering memories of these.
Would you describe your relationship with God in these terms? Do you enjoy Him with all your heart and mind? Do you recognize how good God is? Nahum 1:7 says, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in him,” those who trust in Him.
I was thinking, how does tasting differ from eating? Eating is the process of consuming food, while tasting is deliberately using all my senses to experience and enjoy something, especially something that is very good. Taste and see that the Lord is good is when I experience more of God, sensing His character and goodness, and enjoy everything about Him.
In Jeremiah 15:16, the prophet describes tasting and seeing that the Lord is good. “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I have been called by your name, O Lord God of hosts.”
When something tastes good, I enjoy it as I eat it and then finish eating it. I don’t spit it out, or another way of saying this is, I don’t forget it. This reminds me of what James says about taking in God’s word. “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:22-25)
Reflection/Application:
After reading Romans 12 this morning, it struck me that I went about my day and forgot all about what I read, and it came back to me because I wasn’t applying it to my life. For me to taste and see that the Lord is good means to read His word, chew on it, and understand its meaning and implications to my life right now. Then, I try to live it out throughout the day. In this case, to present myself as a living and holy sacrifice, to let the word of God transform me by renewing my mind. To fully taste the Lord, I follow what He says, and then I enjoy and experience God and His word.
It is in obeying and living out God’s word that it becomes a joy and the delight of my heart. To help me enjoy this most, I revisited Romans 12 for three days to chew on it fully and enjoy my Lord through His words to me. Taste and enjoy the Lord today.
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for the meal of your word. Help me savor and enjoy it as you desire, and help me reflect on your words to me throughout the day.
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