WATCHWORD:
Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed the man who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8
Meditation:
Taste and See?
I’ve always been drawn to that phrase, Taste and see that the Lord is good. Not knowing completely what that meant. Is He implying that I need to read and digest the Word of God and make it part of my life? That would seem to be one understanding.
Maybe what is implied here is that the more intimately I spend in my time with God, the more I deepen my understanding of why he is, at his heart, good. I think he wants to seek me out and, through me, communicate his word as a channel of his command to loving others as he loves us.
I’ve also had a hard time understanding how his blessings can come to us through trouble, through pain, through difficult times. I wish I had a better grasp and understanding of that. He tells us that, at set times, I can know his goodness more thoroughly through my trust in him. I can intellectually understand him but that doesn’t get me to trust. What changes things is truly trusting him in all ways and keep me close even when things are hard.
I think we all have found it hard to be thankful in the face of difficult times. And yet, it becomes a natural reaction when we trust him and have faith that he will never leave us. Do you remember what he said to his disciples when they first saw him after the resurrection? He said Be at Peace, even though they had just witnessed the most traumatic act they had ever seen or heard about. They had lost their leader, and yet there he was before them. What was shaken between Good Friday and Easter Sunday? Their trust in him.
In a recent Jesus Calling, he explains that he had designed us to dwell in Peace all day, every day. Then he goes on to say that we have all we need to draw near to him and receive his Peace. So our task is to draw near to him. So be it.
Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Thank You for being good. Thank You for the promise that I can be happy as I trust You. Open my eyes Lord as I read Your Word and think about Your goodness in my circumstances. Help me to taste Your truth and see how You are working in my life. May my life and the joy you fill me with, encourage those around me to taste and see that You are good.
In Your Name, Jesus, I pray, Amen
