Ohh Taste and See…
Life may have its ups and downs, but can you say that you’ve truly tasted and seen the goodness of God through it all? In the Book of Psalms, David tells us, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him” - Psalm 34:8 NKJV. David uttered praises to God at a time where his very life was threatened.
The Lord had protected and saved him from the hands of death. In 1 Samuel chapter 21, King Saul was after David’s life, which led him to flee from Saul’s presence. In the town of Nob, God satisfied David’s hunger by providing him with sacred bread and even gave him Goliath’s sword through the hands of Ahimelech the priest. When David went to King Achish of Gath and was recognized by the people, he became extremely afraid of what the King might do to him. He pretended to be insane to the point where the King eventually kicked him out of his sight, instead of putting him to death. David’s many tangible experiences with God solidified in his life how real, how good, how powerful, how merciful and how sovereign God really is.
David lived a life of application to the word of God. He had a relationship with the Lord. In Psalm 34 he tells us that during this time of great fear he prayed and the Lord answered him and delivered him from it all. Then in verse 8 he commands us to taste and see, in other words, experience for yourself that the Lord is good. In Hebrew, the word “taste” also means to eat and to perceive. The word “see” in Hebrew means to perceive, have vision, consider, discern, distinguish, observe that the Lord is good. There is so much joy for all who seek after a relationship with God and take shelter in him. Remember, David was already anointed to be Saul’s successor as King; however, Saul desired to kill him. The waiting period from the time of his ordination to the fulfillment of the promise to be King came with plenty of trials and testing of his faith. Each time David leaned on God alone to get him through it all.
No matter how much we read and study the word of God, the weight of truth and revelation of His goodness isn’t fully understood until we’ve applied God’s word to our own situations. God wants us to see for ourselves how good He is. The word of God commands us not just to be hearers but doers of the word. Hearing the word alone isn’t enough for us to really experience God, but applying it will. When we personally experience God’s goodness, it increases our faith and encourages us to share our testimonies with others. This is why it is so important for us to embrace all the trials and hardships that may come our way. As James put it, when our faith is tested, our endurance has a chance to grow, maturing and completing us so that we lack nothing. God’s goodness can never be matched, so like David, I will bless the Lord in the good and bad times, his praise will always be on my lips.
Be encouraged, no matter the tribulations you may be going through, don’t go through it alone. Call on the name of Jesus. He promises to never leave you or forsake you. Take heart in knowing He’s forever with you. Be blessed!