Taste and see that the Lord is good!

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;

Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!

There is no want to those who fear Him.

The young lions lack and suffer hunger;

But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.

(Psalm 34:8-10)

The center of biblical mission in the Old Testament is found in the words taste (Psalm 119:103; 1 Peter 2:3) and see. The task of Israel was to attract the nations to their God. For their faithfulness to Him, God had promised to bless them abundantly, and when the nations saw this blessing they would see that the living God was with them. "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 of obedience in following God, we cannot help discovering that He is good and kind. When we begin the Christian life, our knowledge of God is partial and incomplete. As we trust Him daily, we experience how good He is. You say you belong to the Lord, but do you fear Him? To fear the Lord means to show deep respect and honor to Him. In the midst of a world of many false gods, there is only one living God, and He is altogether good (Psalm 100:5). Fear is a call to awe, wonder, worship, and reverence (Prov. 1:7). To fear God is to respond to Him in piety and obedience. Do you fear the Lord?

We demonstrate true reverence by our humble attitude and genuine worship of God. Reverence was shown by Abraham (Genesis 17:2-4), Moses (Exodus 3:5-6) and the Israelites (Exodus 19:16-24). Their reactions to God's presence varied, but all deeply respected Him. Do you have a deep respect for the Lord?

At first we may question David's statement, "shall not lack any good thing", because we seem to lack many good things. This is not a blanket promise that all Christians will have everything they want. Instead, this is David's praise for God's goodness -- all those who call upon God in their need will be answered, sometimes in unexpected ways. Remember, God knows what we need, and our deepest needs are spiritual. Many Christians, even though they face unbearable poverty and hardship, still have enough spiritual nourishment to live for God. David was saying that to have God is to have all we really need. Is God all you need in this world today?

People who live by their own wits may eat as infrequently as young lions, but those that seek the Lord shall not lack (Psalm 23:1). This is not a categorical statement. Time after time believer's have been able to attest to the ways God has met their needs. Has God met your needs?

If you feel you don't have everything you need, ask yourself the following questions: 1) Is this really a need? 2) Is this really good for me? And, 3) Is this the best time for me to have what I desire? Even if you answer yes to all three questions, God may allow you to go without to help you grow more dependent on Him. God may want you to learn that you need Him more than you need to achieve your immediate desires. Are you growing more dependent on the Lord?

Father God, it is my prayer that I continue to grow more dependent on you daily as I focus on You and become more like your Son. Humble me Lord and search my heart and soul to clean me of all the things in my life that might hinder my spiritual growth in You. I pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.

References: NKJV Holy Bible, Life Application Bible (NIV), and the Nelson Study Bible