Take A Bite
Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Psalm 34:8 (New Living Translation, NLT)
Has anyone ever tried to talk you into taking a bite of a food you’ve not tried before? At first you might be cautious, taking just a tiny nibble because you are not sure if you will like it. But once you know it tastes good, you are willing to eat bigger bites and with more eagerness. You might even throw all thought of calories out the window and eat a big portion of it. The Psalmist is saying the same thing about God: “Try Him, you’ll like Him!”
Life in this world can be difficult. We all face hardships, disappointments, and pain. Without Jesus, things would be pretty dismal and hopeless. Life would taste bitter.
How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey. Psalm 119:103 (New Living Translation, NLT)
God and His Word bring a sweetness to living that counteracts the hard-to-swallow harshness of this world. Maybe you’ve been through some really bad stuff in your life- abuse, poverty, sickness, loss of a loved one, divorce, depression, betrayal…. Let God sweeten the bitterness for you. The love of Jesus is sweeter and better than anything you can get in a bakery or candy store. It not only takes the bad taste out of your mouth, but it keeps it out.
Once you have experienced the goodness of God and He has removed the bitterness from your soul, then it is time to offer that sweet, yummy, delicious love of God to others. So many people need to get a heaping spoonful of God’s love and goodness. They lead bitter, selfish lives. (If you don’t believe me, spend a few minutes on social media)! Now is the time to show them the love of the Father. After all, it is the goodness and kindness of God that leads people to repentance (Romans 2:4). Once they get just a taste of the Lord, they will indeed see that He is good, and they will get an appetite for more.
That is the wonderful thing about God- once you get a taste, you want more and more of Him. And He is more than willing to oblige.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6 (New International Version, NIV)
