“Taste and see that the Lord is good” – Psalm 34:8
That phrase is so familiar it’s become a cliché, drained of substance and believability.
But the core of that verse is the call to reality – to experience the substance of life itself.
You and I live mundane lives. Every pleasure in this world fades as it gets used, and all the colors fade to grey.
Have you ever woken in the morning and felt certain there was nothing facing you the rest of the day that you wanted to remain awake for?
Still, we know that there is one experience (and only one!) that grows more wonderful the more you go back to it.
It may sound odd, but God truly is the only one who never grows old.
He is infinite. So expansive and wonderful that we can never know all of him.
Every time we learn something more about him, we find additional elements to him waiting around the corner.
He is love embodied. Joy. Peace. He is everything we can’t find in this world for more than a moment.
So many of us move through life as if we’re trying to hop between tiny islands of pleasure amidst a sea of dissatisfaction.
We chase the next promotion (“once I get it, we can have the stability that. . .”), the next paycheck (“once I get it I can buy that. . .”), the next movie (“once it comes out, I’ll be first in line to. . .”), even the next bag of really good coffee (I’m already drooling thinking of it).
But once we get it, the beauty fades, and the joy gets used up. We tire of experiencing the shadows of goodness bound up in the things of this world.
Then Jesus leans close and says, “Come to me. Because the shadows of goodness that you’ve been experiencing have been cast by the light striking me.”
Will you put down everything that’s already occupied the space of your mind today and go to him?
“I’m speaking to you,” he continues. “You who are weary and heavy-laden. Because I will give you rest.”
So, do you trust him to do what he promises?
If you do, then put down your to-do list, and focus on him until you, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”
Because he is your greatest pleasure, and enjoying him is the fulfillment of your central purpose. Don’t make him a second thing. Make him your primary focus at the beginning of every day.
We are built like a piece to fit into the puzzle of him. And the joy of belonging to him never fades.
So, “Taste and see that the Lord is good,” is not just an invitation, it’s a promise. A promise that when you taste the Lord, you can’t help but see that he is the ultimate good that you’ve always longed for more than anything else.
Let’s pray.
PRAYER
Lord, we surrender our lives to you in expectant joy, having full confidence that you will complete and fulfill our every desire. That, in time, as we rest in you and meditate on your goodness, your Spirit is filling us up, feeding us with food that will truly satisfy us. But satisfy us in a way that is more enjoyable than any food we’ve ever tasted. We gladly give up everything that you tell us we should let go of for our own joy and purity. Because purity frees us to live in perfect closeness with you and experience the fullness of your Real Life. Keep us forever in you! Amen.
DIG DEEPER
Meditate on the phrase “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” The more time you spend seeking to experience God’s personhood, the more he will reveal his goodness to you, and allow you to enjoy his presence. Every morning this week, set a timer for fifteen minutes, and seek to experience God’s presence and enjoy him for those fifteen minutes. You may feel little in the first few minutes. This is normal. Our emotions and minds are usually groggy when we first wake up. But it is a promise that if you seek to enjoy him, he will reveal himself to you, and you will enjoy him. Because there is nothing about him that we can’t enjoy!
Good stuff, Brennan