Savor the Flavor: Taste And See That The Lord Is Good

A few days ago I had the oportunity to give a devotional to Ferris's varisty baseball team. I had 10 minutes to try to point these young men to something greater than themselves. Needless to say, I did not prepare as I should have and the devotional was weak. However, God did some neat things. First, I spoke on how our hearts desire glory and we seek after it in food, sports, and other leisurely activites. I was also able to put in there that every time we see glory, (i.e. College Basketball National Championship) it is a God given parable to point us in His direction. That night, the Yellow Jackets experienced this glory when they beat Kemp in the 9th inning on a suicide bunt. That follwoing Friday, I was given another opporutniy to give the devotional. What you see below is what God worked out. Read to your enjoyment and His glory.

Tasting Happens on A Couple of Levels.

Literally

God has given us an amazing and complex system of tasting and seeing. There are over 10,000 taste buds on your tongue that act as transmitters to your brain. The moment something enters your mouth and hits your tongue, almost instantly, a message (via microvilli- microscopic hairs that transmit messages to the brain) is sent to your brain and your brain tells you if it is sweet, sour, salty, spicy or bitter. Add to that, there are olfactory receptors in the upper nose that respond to the chemicals released when you are chewing. This synergetic duo work together to create the taste of a moist "hot-out-of the-oven" chocolate chip cookie or sweet and sour chicken from your favorite Chinese restaurant.

God has given us taste buds for a couple of reasons. First, he desires you to enjoy food. He has given us so many enjoyable foods and tells us to taste and see that they are good. Secondly, I believe he allows us to taste because he wanted us to understand when he says things like “taste and see that the Lord is good”, we would understand. We can relate to this verse simply because we have an idea of something that taste good and something that does not.

Figuratively

Another way of tasting is by experiencing something; whether it is glorious or tragic. When 911 happened many of us tasted the acrimony of anger and the sordid flavor of fear. When you passed your drivers license test you may have tasted the joy of accomplishment and freedom, or if you failed, maybe you tasted the bitterness of defeat. Again, when Kansas State University player Mario Chambers made the 3 pointer at the buzzer to go into overtime in the National Championship against Memphis, and the entire arena went to its feet in frenzy; you tasted glory.

Whether you are savoring the sweet gooey delight of a brownie or you are standing at the foot of Kilimanjaro, you are tasting the mere shadow of something far better and you are being directed to seek after it with all of your heart.

Tasting Can Be Momentary or Continuous

When we taste something most times it is momentary. The taste of a chocolate chip cookie dissolves along with the food as it makes its way through our mouth. The over joyous feeling of a win, even a championship, fades away with every moment and becomes only but an incensory memory. We ourseles are momentary. The bible says that our life is a vapor in the wind; here today and gone tomorrow (James 4:14). We are here for a moment and then we are gone.

Our longing is sometimes momentarily filled with other things. Some of you will try to fill it with more sports. Others will settle for cheap momentary pleasures in alcohol, drugs, and promiscuous sex outside of marriage; in which you will jump from woman to woman never fully satisfied or content. Most of you will probably try to fulfill this appetite with a family and successful career. Which in and of itself is not bad, except it will not deliver what you think it promises.

When God calls you to taste and see that He is good, He is promising to continually satisfy your soul with what is good; namely Himself. This does not mean that when you submit your entire life to him that you will become healthy, wealthy, and prosperous. It does not mean your current circumstances will change. Some of you live in tough neighborhoods and under extremely stressful situations. Some of you have had to deal with hardships that most adults cringe at going through. Your life has been tough. Coming to Christ will not necessarily change all of that. However, what he does promise is that in the midst of everything, good or bad, you will be satisfied. You will have joy in the midst of grief. It is not a flaky happy joy that does not last. But instead it is a confidence and a hope that all things will work together for your good (Romans 8:28). God promises in verse 9 that there is no lack to those who fear him.

What does it mean to fear God?

Verse eight says that one is blessed who trust in the Lord. I believe there is a connection to the word trust in verse 8 and the word fear in verse 9. To trust God is to fear God. It is to believe that he is all powerful, all knowing, all seeing and can do anything he please in all the universe.
To fear God is also to be in awe of Him. It is to be enthralled with his power and might, his beauty and majesty; his mercy in salvation and his wrath in judgment.

God is calling you today to taste and see that he is better than anything you will eat and more glorious than any championship game you will ever play or win. He makes a bold declaration to you today; “Taste and see that I AM GOOD.” Are you willing to taste and take him up on his offer? The one who does is blessed. Those who do not are cursed.

John Piper is one of the leading theologians in tasting and seeing God. I would encourage you to click on the Desiring God website under the Drink Deeply column. You will be blessed in doing so.