Have You Tasted Him?

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Psalm 34:8 NKJV)

When I cook, unlike many other cooks, I don't always taste the food I'm cooking, while it's still cooking. I don't have a "big spoon" to dish out samples to determine if the seasoning is right. I've been cooking long enough to know when the seasoning is just about right. And since I don't use a great deal of salt or other "spicy" seasonings, anyone who wants to add some after their plate is prepared is welcome to do so. And inevitably, someone either adds salt or pepper to the food on their plates.

The amazing thing to me is watching people who add salt and pepper or hot sauce or ketchup to food without tasting the food, first! How on earth do they determine what's needed to make the food more flavorable or palatable to their taste buds, if they don't taste it first?

Now, I also realize that we cannot judge how food tastes by looking at it. Everything that looks good does not taste good. I know this from experience. But then if we're going to judge a matter--rightly, we have to taste it before we commend or condemn it. I once thought a cake was going to be absolutely scrumptious--based on how it looked, bought a piece and gagged--trying to get it out of my mouth. And then, there are some dishes that didn't look very appealing, but tasted like a bit of heaven and had me drooling for more.

We cannot always rightly judge how anything tastes or how good a person is by looking at appearances. I've known some suited-up folks who looked professional and smiled at all the right times, but they were the devil's own and I've known some folks who only wore sweatshirts and jeans who were so kind and generous, they were absolutely unforgettable. Sometimes our eyes deceive us and we must take a closer look or experience a matter for ourselves before we judge it.

This is why it is so important for those who have experienced God's goodness to have a testimony and can encourage others to "taste and see" how good He is. "He's Sweet I Know" is a song, but it tells the whole story--sweeter than the honey in a honeycomb--that's how good our God is. No matter what our circumstances have been or may be, when we look to Him for the solutions to our problems, He never forsakes us or leaves us with no direction.

We have to trust Him and the only way most of us will ever trust Him is by trying Him--tasting His goodness for ourselves, but we need a witness to encourage us to "taste and see" so they'll know for themselves.

Let's get out and encourage others who have been discouraged by the events of life to taste Jesus for themselves and know He is good and we can put our total trust in Him. He is not a man that He should lie nor will He change His mind about who He is in our lives; He is worthy of our trust, love, and obedience to His Word.
O Taste and See just how good He is!