Be Still - January 21, 2023

Psalm 34: 8 Taste and see that the Lord is good . . . (NIV)

It is folly for a man to pass sentence upon a matter which he has not patience to make a strict enquiry into.*

Like any good mom, I wanted my kids to eat healthy. I tried to prepare balanced meals – although sometimes that meant a PB&J in one hand and a glass of milk in the other. I also was careful not to serve foods I knew they would hate. But whenever I introduced a new dish to my repertoire, they had to try it. One bite. If they didn’t like it, they didn’t have to eat any more of it. But they had to taste it to see if it was good.

David urges us to taste and see that the Lord is good. How will we know if we want him to be a regular part of our diet if we don’t sample what he has to offer? Are you facing some challenges in your life right now that present an opportunity to taste the Lord?

Some suggestions for taste-testing the Lord can be found in scripture. First Peter 5: 7 dares us to cast all our anxiety on God because he cares for us. Try tasting the Lord when you are anxious. In the Beatitudes, found in Matthew chapter 5, we find some tests that might produce quick results: if you are in mourning, you will be comforted (verse 4); if you hunger and thirst for righteousness, you will be filled (verse 6); the pure in heart will see God (verse 8). But the quickest and easiest way to test the Lord’s goodness is with your finances.

In Malachi 3: 10, God challenges the people of Israel to test him by bringing the whole tithe into the storehouse. “See if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it,” he tells them. While this promise is specific to Israel, the challenge is applicable to all. If you aren’t tithing (giving ten percent of your earnings to God), try it. See how well God provides with the 90 percent remaining.

Take a bite. Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Strong Christians are strong because they enjoy the Lord.*