“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!”
Psalm‬ ‭34:8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

What if the cover of your bible read like a food label? The Bread of Life; made with love, mercy, and grace, organic, no artificial ingredients, only God-breathed, preservative free, yet preserves life, recommend a daily dose, sweeter than honey, taste and see the goodness!

Ever wonder what exactly the psalmist meant by “taste and see” that the Lord is good? Are we to somehow consume Him or meet the One “who dwells in unapproachable light” face to face in this life? The answer is a mysterious combination of both yes and no.

God gave us His Word so that we may know Him, His character, His intent for mankind, and His incomparable goodness. His Word, His Son, and His Spirit are all gifts He gave us to better understand His nature. 

We are encouraged to consume His Word, chew on its meaning, savor its promises, swallow its truth, and live by the heartbeat of its nourishment and sustaining grace. Just as tasting your meal is better than merely reading the menu, God’s Word is meant to be ingested (not merely read) so that the Holy Spirit can help digest its power into our being.

Taste and see.

Are you developing a sweet tooth for God?

“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
Psalm‬ ‭119:103‬ ‭ESV‬‬

When we read scripture, tasting comes first. Just as we taste our first bite of food to see if it’s too hot, too cold, too bland, or too dry. Just as we sample wine before we pour the whole glass. The more we sample God’s Word, the more we want to consume. Then we develop a “taste” for His teaching and His words become sweeter with each bite. We begin craving Him like a sweet tooth craves sugar.

Taste and see.

Do you desire a sweet tooth for God?

“Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.”
Ecclesiastes‬ ‭11:7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

First we taste, then we see. Seeing comes as the Spirit illuminates the nourishment The Word offers thus providing us glimpses and visions of God at work. The transition from tasting to seeing is often subtle.

We start by seeing creation a little more clearly. Colors pop louder, nature resonates a melody, sun rays offer a divine warm blanket embrace. Then, we begin to identify His presence in others. Our spirits elevate with hope when we dig beneath the surface and lower our empty buckets into the well of faith of another believer. Lastly, we begin to notice subtle changes in our own nature. We see, we feel, we hear, and we think differently.

Finally, we cease to consider ourselves at all. We begin to naturally and somewhat reflexively consider God in all areas of life. This is what it means to have the mind of Christ. We were made to crave more. More of Him. More of His Word.

Taste and see.

Do you have a sweet tooth for God?

“More to be desired are they (God’s Word) than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.”
Psalm‬ ‭19:10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Once you taste and see that the Lord is good, you realize He is the only One who will ever satisfy your deepest longings. Christ becomes central. God alone sustains your soul for eternity.

The Son was called by the Father to offer himself for your sake on the cross. Yet before His journey to the cross, Jesus offered His body and His blood, in the form of bread and wine, so that we could forever taste and see the goodness of communion with the Trinity.

Taste and see the sweet life of communion with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let your sweet tooth have its way with His Word.

Be encouraged by the exhortation contained in this prayer written by Anglican theologian Thomas Cranmer:

“Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”