awake

“Taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him! Fear the Lord you His holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.”

Psalms 34:8-9 NIV

To taste and see we must trust and seek and know God is our refuge. 

God is good and He provides. His glorious promises should remove any continual fear in our lives and yet, we often forget His tender love and care. Psalm 34 is an encouragement to go beyond simply saying the Lord is good and actively experience His goodness in our lives.

A part of this goodness we are to enjoy is the Lord’s provision for his righteous ones. The psalm reads, those who fear the Lord will lack nothing. Here in lies the invitation— if we want to taste the goodness of God, we need to trust His way is the best way.

Choose to live in the fear of the Lord.  Many times we cannot control our environment. Things will happen. People will let us down. However, we honor God every time we offer ourselves as a living sacrifice and deny ourselves to follow His commands.

Delight in His Word. God’s Word is nourishment to our souls. As we hunger and desire His word and faithful teachings we will grow spiritually and experience His grace (1 Pet 2:2-3).

Trust His character.  We delight in God’s goodness when we contemplate His holiness and sovereignty. God is faithful and has given us assurance of His protection and care (Ps 34:4, 17).

Rely on His strength. Take your hands off of the situation and give it to God. He is with you (Ph 4:6-7).

While turning to God doesn’t ensure a pain free life, His goodness is always tangible and available to us.

reflect:

What area is hard for you to die to self? Where are you currently doubting the goodness of God in your life?

centering prayer

LORD, if I allow fear or doubt to lead me astray, remind me of your goodness and your guiding hand of grace. amen.