Taste and See

This morning in our Sunday worship service we sang a song about the faithfulness and goodness of the Lord. I was glad to enter into worship with sincere gratitude for His faithful goodness to me and to my church community. Some of us have known each other for many decades, and our heritage of friendship, commitment and so-journeying faith is a rich tapestry portraying the unifying love of God, which He so graciously bestowed in our hearts. The fact that I do not doubt His love for me is due in part to the many evidences of His love I have seen expressed in the lives of the people He has joined to me.

I see the goodness of God in the health and beauty of loving relationships. I taste His goodness in the air I breathe because He gave me life and a heart to love Him. My understanding of His goodness comes from His self-disclosure to me in His word and through prayer, not from my circumstance or situation. The world would have us define God by our experiences, rather than letting God define our experiences. I hope you can see the difference. One limits the knowledge of Him to human reasoning, the other offers us an eternal perspective on the human experience by acknowledging that He is in all things and over all things. Indeed, “He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” (Colossians 1:17 NKJV)

Sometimes we are required to let go of that which we think is good in order to embrace the One Himself who is altogether good and trust that He means us good and that He is able to keep us from stumbling or faltering. (Jude 24) This journey is about falling in love with the lover of our souls. For the child of God, the path through time is fraught with danger, full of trials and obstacles, but also sprinkled with joyous jewels, crowned with glory and splendor, and awash with rivers of living water. He is the bread of life, taste and see that He is good. (Psalm 34:8)

Father in heaven, You are a good Father. You are careful, patient and wise. I’ve known your comfort in times of difficulty, your compassionate discipline when I have disobeyed You and your pleasure when I’ve responded to your invitation to join You. Thank You for not leaving me alone or letting me get away with thoughts, actions and motives that displease you. I delight to do Your will and to see You glorified. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Take some time this week to remember God’s goodness. Consider how it is that you know Him to be good. Maybe you have questioned His goodness, or you have struggled with thinking that what you feel is good is not what He knows is good for you. Read Romans 8:28 and ask the Lord to give you a revelation of Himself in your circumstances and relationships, whereby you can experience His goodness.

Until next week, take every opportunity to taste and see that He is good.