Taste And See

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Scripture: Psalm 34:8 (NIV)

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;

blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

Devotion:

This psalm begins with the imperative verb, taste. It is both a command and an invitation to come, see, and experience all that God has to offer. The psalm’s author, David, calls on God’s people to go beyond just a head knowledge of God and really experience the good fruit that comes from a heart knowledge of God. The verse also speaks to those who are not yet in the kingdom by revealing that God is not distant and uninvolved with life. God can be known, and He is waiting for us to reach out and taste and see that the Lord is indeed very good.

David uses the verbs "taste" and "see" to engage our senses. The Spirit inspired David to write those words because they make us move beyond dry learning of facts about God into the realm of experience that takes us deeper into a personal relationship with God. Many learned people know a lot about God but have never truly encountered Him. The encounter is essential to growth in a Christian’s walk with the Lord. Some ways to begin encountering God are through reading Scripture, prayer, worship, and obedience to what we read in God’s word.

The verse promises a blessing. How do we obtain this blessing? We obtain the blessing by making God our refuge. Once we have tasted the Lord’s goodness, the Lord wants us to seek deeper communion with Him. Living a life in relationship with God is not passive. Trusting in God to be our shelter and refuge in times of fear or uncertainty involves our actively seeking God through the spiritual disciplines listed above. When we know God as our refuge, we will begin to see God’s goodness at work in our lives.

The context David is writing this psalm from is one of escape from distress. King Saul is looking for David to kill him. David escapes, and this psalm is the result. This psalm shows us that God shows up in our distress, even when we do not recognize it, and provides a way of escape. We must look for God’s saving help in both small and large ways. God can be found to be the source of our strength, provision, peace, and guidance as we go through our daily lives and struggles. We are often only aware of God’s goodness when we are in distress and need His help.

As a result of tasting the goodness of God, we are to tell others about our relationship with this God we have found to be so very good. Encourage those who express the need for God to reach out to Him; they will never be disappointed. Share the joy you have found in your relationship with God when you tell of the marvelous deeds He has done for you.

Prayer:

Lord, may we taste and see Your goodness anew every day. Draw us into a deeper and more serious relationship with You. Be our refuge. Open our eyes to all the ways You move in our lives each day. Make our lives a witness to Your faithfulness; be our strength and our song. Amen.

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