Taste and See
“Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” —Psalm 34:8 (NLT)
These words have rung so true in my heart over the last few weeks. So simple, yet within this one verse are some of the keys to peace and rest.
God invites us to taste and see His goodness, to personally experience who He is. Religion, on the other hand, often pushes us toward something less. It teaches us to “taste” of someone else’s experience with Christ instead of discovering Him for ourselves. It points us to go through someone else rather than partaking of Him directly and receiving the authentic, real thing.
In this season, I’ve come to truly know, not just in theory, and not even only by faith, but by real experience, just how good He is. My concern is that so many people hope He is good, want Him to be good, but have not yet tasted for themselves.
“A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.”
—Psalm 84:10 (NLT)
What’s fascinating about this psalm is that the writer wasn’t being poetic for the sake of beauty. He was actually a gatekeeper in the tabernacle of David. Years ago, when I studied this passage, I realized something profound: this wasn’t a metaphor. This man literally spent his days at the door of the temple, guarding, watching, and serving. And yet, of all the roles he could have longed for, he loved being the gatekeeper.
Why? Because he had tasted the goodness of God. He had discovered that even the simplest place near God’s presence was better than the most extravagant life away from Him.
My point? Once you taste how good God truly is, you stop longing for lesser things. The psalmist ends with this truth: “Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” And that joy still belongs to everyone who finds their contentment in Him and His presence.
When we taste the goodness of God for ourselves, faith moves from theory to reality. We no longer settle for secondhand religion or borrowed testimonies. We experience His peace, His rest, and His joy firsthand. And once you’ve tasted the real thing, nothing else compares.
Journal | Am I living on secondhand experiences of God, or am I tasting and seeing His goodness for myself? Where is He inviting me to draw closer and experience Him in a deeper way?
Prayer | Lord, thank You for inviting me to taste and see that You are good. Forgive me for the times I’ve settled for secondhand faith instead of pursuing You directly. Draw me closer to Your presence and help me to experience Your goodness in new and deeper ways. May my joy and contentment always be found in You alone. Amen.
These words have rung so true in my heart over the last few weeks. So simple, yet within this one verse are some of the keys to peace and rest.
God invites us to taste and see His goodness, to personally experience who He is. Religion, on the other hand, often pushes us toward something less. It teaches us to “taste” of someone else’s experience with Christ instead of discovering Him for ourselves. It points us to go through someone else rather than partaking of Him directly and receiving the authentic, real thing.
In this season, I’ve come to truly know, not just in theory, and not even only by faith, but by real experience, just how good He is. My concern is that so many people hope He is good, want Him to be good, but have not yet tasted for themselves.
“A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.”
—Psalm 84:10 (NLT)
What’s fascinating about this psalm is that the writer wasn’t being poetic for the sake of beauty. He was actually a gatekeeper in the tabernacle of David. Years ago, when I studied this passage, I realized something profound: this wasn’t a metaphor. This man literally spent his days at the door of the temple, guarding, watching, and serving. And yet, of all the roles he could have longed for, he loved being the gatekeeper.
Why? Because he had tasted the goodness of God. He had discovered that even the simplest place near God’s presence was better than the most extravagant life away from Him.
My point? Once you taste how good God truly is, you stop longing for lesser things. The psalmist ends with this truth: “Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” And that joy still belongs to everyone who finds their contentment in Him and His presence.
When we taste the goodness of God for ourselves, faith moves from theory to reality. We no longer settle for secondhand religion or borrowed testimonies. We experience His peace, His rest, and His joy firsthand. And once you’ve tasted the real thing, nothing else compares.
Journal | Am I living on secondhand experiences of God, or am I tasting and seeing His goodness for myself? Where is He inviting me to draw closer and experience Him in a deeper way?
Prayer | Lord, thank You for inviting me to taste and see that You are good. Forgive me for the times I’ve settled for secondhand faith instead of pursuing You directly. Draw me closer to Your presence and help me to experience Your goodness in new and deeper ways. May my joy and contentment always be found in You alone. Amen.
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