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Psalm 34:8 - Experience Jesus and Find Fullness of Joy.Psalm 34:8 (NKJV) Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!Psalm 34:8 (NIV) Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8 (NLT) Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! INTRODUCTION "Taste and see" does not mean "Check out God's credentials." Instead, it is a warm invitation: "Try this; I know you'll like it." When we take that first step toward getting to know God, we discover that he is good and kind. When we begin the Christian life, our knowledge of God is partial and incomplete. This will be the case until we meet God face-to-face, but as we invite the Holy Spirit to help us, study the Bible, and get to know other Christians, we begin to have the joy of tasting and experiencing God's love. [Life Application SB 2019] To taste and see is experiential. You are being invited to try and experience the very nature of God. Have you done that? Do you take God at His Word? Have you experienced His goodness firsthand? Do you seek Him as your sole source of protection and realize that He loves you more than you can imagine? David is inviting you through this Psalm to put the matter to the test. Like David, once you have truly tasted and seen the goodness of God, your desire will be for others to experience what you have already come to know. [The Practice of the Presence of God: 40 Day Devotional by Brother Lawrence/Alan Vermilye] COMMENTARY PEARL Taste Testers It takes more than the love of food to become a professional taste tester. The best ones don't simply nibble on chocolates all day, scribbling down notes between bites. Rather, their superior chemical senses enable them to differentiate layers of flavors. They also know how to speak "taste." Instead of describing food with words like, "This tastes good," they'll say something like, "This lemon pudding is sweet, but tart with a harsh bite." Today's promise challenges us to move from theory to practice. "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good," David writes. Don't just talk about God's goodness - take a bite. It's an invitation to test the Lord's promise of kindness and protection. He's saying, "Don't take my word for it" And once you have tasted His goodness, you'll want more. The apostle Peter speaks of this when describing how young Christians, having "tasted that the Lord is gracious," will "desire the pure milk of the word, that [they] may grow thereby" (1 Peter 1:2, 3). David wrote this psalm while a fugitive, after feigning madness before the king of Gath (1 Samuel 21:12-15). Its general theme is God's care for those going through difficulties, even as they practice dishonesty in the face of fear. The different flavors of God's mercy are tasted in its verses. For example, He delivers us from fear when we seek Him (v. 4), makes our faces radiant when we look to Him (v. 5), and saves us from trouble when we cry out to Him (v. 6). Have you fully put yourself into God's hands? Taste and see for yourself that He is good, and you will be blessed. My heavenly Father, I have tasted Your goodness and want more. [The Most Amazing Bible Promises by Amazing Facts] COMMENTARY Taste and See My friend, Dan Earl, is a bee-keeper. Recently he presented me with a gift basket of his bee byproducts - creams, candles, and best of all, his top-selling honey. That Sunday I enjoyed a cup of Earl Grey tea and toasted crumpets with butter and honey. I was almost in heaven. It was so delicious. The Puritan, Jonathan Edwards, drew a parallel between honey and Psalm 34:8. One can conclude that honey is honey because it is golden, has a certain viscosity, and has bits of comb in it. Therefore, it must be honey. But Edwards said there is a superior way to know. Put a drop on your tongue, and you'll see that knowing honey involves much more than understanding facts about it. To truly know honey is to taste and see that it is sweet, delicious, and delightful. There's nothing quite like it! The same can be said about our knowledge of God. We can conclude that God is God because he is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent... he is attended by thousands of angels and he sits on the throne of heaven.., he is the Supreme Ruler, the Creator of all things and the Judge of all men. But even the devil knows these facts about God! So, truly knowing God involves more than knowing facts about him. We must "taste and see that the Lord is good," sweet, delightful, and all lovely. We must have a heart that awakens to his true splendor through experiencing his beauty. Dr. John Piper writes, "Before we met Christ we were dead, blind, deaf and insensitive to God's glory; we couldn't taste it as beautiful... Conversion to Christ puts within us a taste for divine things, a taste for the glory of God. Our battle is to constantly see him more clearly that we might delight in him more fully." Lord Jesus, your Word is sweeter than honey and I find you utterly delightful. Awaken my heart further to your beauty and splendor. [Joni Eareckson Tada Daily Devotional: http://www.joniandfriends.org/daily-devotional] ILLUSTRATIONS Experience His Goodness My new friend Nicole and I are on a quest to find good tacos. We both moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to Idaho. We were chatting after church a month ago and realized we shared an affinity for Mexican food. The number of delicious taquerias in the Bay Area is significant. Finding a good street taco up here would be like a little taste of home. We met at a local taqueria a few weeks ago. It had delicious tacos, guacamole, and sopes (thick corn tortillas with yummy toppings). It was our first time getting together and talking. We found out about each other's lives. We talked about careers and kids and husbands. We chatted about how glad we are that Jesus had opened the door for new opportunities in our lives. Who would have thought that two California girls would be meeting up for chips and salsa in the Boise foothills? We left feeling filled up in body, mind, and spirit. Jesus has an amazing way of leading me to unexpected places. He has shown His goodness to me over and over again in thoughtful and creative ways. The Psalmist says He delights in the details of our lives (Psalm 37:23, NLT). From new friendships to career shifts, in life's different seasons, Jesus is constantly looking for ways to show me His delight and goodness. I can trust Him with my life. He fills me up body, mind, and spirit. Susanna Foth Aughtmon Faith Step: Throughout your day, make it a point to look for ways that Jesus is showing you His goodness. When you notice Him at work, thank Him for it. [Mornings With Jesus 2025 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan] Experience His Joy Through Service My husband and I took our granddaughter to a local museum. They were hosting a special "girls in science" day with many handson activities. Instead of viewing paintings and sculptures from a distance or displays of taxidermy animals and pottery shards under glass, she got to explore rooms featuring math, weather, and medicine. She created a lava lamp with oil and food coloring. She painted a coffee filter and watched the colors spread while learning about chromatography. In the weather area, she watched a machine create a tornado and reached in to touch it. In the medical science exhibit, she performed an ablation surgery on a pig's heart. Watching her play and learn, I thought about how much we absorb through tangible interaction, and the verse from the Psalms came to mind. Jesus invites us to do more than observe the walk of faith from a distance. He calls us to enter in. To taste and see what kingdom life is all about. He gave His disciples opportunities to go out and preach and heal those in need. They sat at His feet and listened, but they also experienced the journey of faith in tangible ways. Jesus continues to invite us to learn from Him in tangible ways. He gives us the waters of baptism and His body and blood in the sacraments. And He calls us to carry out His work of feeding the hungry, visiting the lonely, bringing hope to the hurting. Being a disciple of Jesus isn't about viewing His life from a distance, like an exhibit under glass. It's about joining Him in washing feet, wiping away tears, and breaking bread. by Sharon Hinck Faith Step: Ask Jesus to show you a hands-on way to share His love today. Taste and see His goodness as you serve. [Mornings With Jesus 2020 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan] LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY Psalm 34:8 - Experience Jesus and Find Fullness of Joy. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2018/20180302-0916.html http://www.abible.com/devotions/2011/20110213-1923.html http://www.abible.com/devotions/2007/20070219-1206.html http://www.abible.com/devotions/2004/20040315-1549.html Psalm 34:5 - How To Shine Like The Sun. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2015/20150213-1623.html Psalm 34:7 - In Jesus We Are In The Best Of Care. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2004/20040723-1350.html Hebrews 11:6 - Faith is a Relationship with God. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211010-1057.html https://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211019-1025.html LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT https://abible.com/links/ |