Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Psalm 34:8
“Mmm… that is SO GOOD!”
I can’t wait until Christmas dinner. In fact, Christmas food in general, I just love it!
Bacon & brie croissants for breakfast… so good!
A fork filled with turkey, stuffing and bread sauce… so good!
Christmas pudding with brandy sauce… so good!
Cheese & crackers late at night… so good!
Festive Bakes the whole way through December… so good!
Every family has their own food traditions around Christmas. You might not fancy the same Christmas grub as me, but I’d guess there’s something you’re looking forward to tasting this Christmas. It’s one thing to think about it just now though, it’s another to actually experience the taste in our mouths!
Food is a wonderful gift that points us to the goodness of Jesus this Christmas.
Psalm 34 talks of tasting and seeing that the Lord is good.
It’s one thing to talk about or think about God being good. It’s one thing to hear that it is good news that Jesus was born. It’s one thing to try and wrestle with how God can still be good despite evil in the world. We could hear sermons, we could know the stories of the Bible, we could hang about with Christians.
But it’s another thing to personally experience, to taste, that God is good.
I could spend a lifetime dreaming about the tastes of Christmas, but until it’s in my mouth I don’t actually know the experience of that taste.
That’s what this Psalm is getting at. Unless we personally put our trust in Jesus and walk with Him each day, we’ll miss out on the beautiful taste of Jesus.
David wrote this Psalm to encourage people to come and trust the Lord. He spoke about how God had delivered Him, and about what it looks like to follow the Lord. This wee verse today comes in the middle, and is the heart of his plea.
‘Come and taste!’
‘Come and see for yourself!’
This Christmas, come and taste the goodness of Jesus for yourself.
Come and taste how good it is to be saved for all eternity.
Come and taste how good it is to have all sin forgiven.
Come and taste how good it is to have the comfort of the Holy Spirit living in you.
Come and taste how good it is to have a hope that is unbreakably solid.
Come and taste how good it is to know good gifts from the good Giver.
Come and taste how good it is that Jesus was born to die.
Come and taste how good it is that we can know God.
Come and taste how good it is that you are never alone.
Come and taste how good it is that God has shown incredible grace and mercy.
So good. Better than any Christmas food. Slow down today and chew over the goodness of Jesus.
How do we really know God is good? By trusting Jesus and tasting just how good He is.
O Come Let Us Adore Him!
A thought to remember: When we trust Jesus, we’ll taste that He is good.
A question to ask: How have you tasted the goodness of Jesus today?
A bit more to read: Psalm 34
A song to sing: The Goodness of Jesus