Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Fear the Lord, you godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing. – Psalm 34:8-10 (NLT)
When was the last time you really tasted something? I don’t mean just noticing how a particular food tastes. I mean slowing down, intentionally savoring the flavor, and taking time to appreciate it?
I scarfed down half a bag of potato chips earlier today, but I definitely did not savor it. I crunched away while scrolling through Facebook on my phone, and I didn’t even realize how much I had eaten until I suddenly felt uncomfortably full.
Contrast that with the times I go wine tasting with my husband. We slowly sip small pours of wine, taking the time to notice and name its subtleties in flavor, commenting on the color and transparency, and inhaling its scent before taking the liquid into our mouth, swishing it around before swallowing. We marvel at how it makes other food like chocolate, apples, or cheese seem even better.
Now that’s tasting in the true sense of the word!
Verse 8 tells us that those of us who take the time to “taste and see” God’s goodness will experience true joy. So what does it mean to “taste and see” in the Biblical sense?
It’s actually very similar to the wine tasting scenario I describe above. According to one commentary I read, the true meaning of the word we translate as “taste” means “to try the flavor.” When we look for the beauty of God’s character and the beauty of His gifts to us, we are trying and savoring His sweetness.
Another commentary, Barnes’ Notes in the Bible, suggests that the verse is trying to convey the idea that by tasting the goodness of who God is and what He gives us, we will find so much happiness that we’d be led to seek our happiness solely in Him.
So much of our infertility experience is wrapped up in the desire to “taste and see” parenthood. It’s easy to let that become our idea of ultimate happiness. May this verse be our reminder that while parenthood is good and desirable, only God Himself can give us ultimate fulfillment.
Photo courtesy of Boss Fight
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