Taste and See

“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” Psalm 34:8

On the way to a Wednesday night church service, I stopped at one of my favorite dockside restaurants for some delicious local seafood, and on the way out, I got to enjoy this amazing view. In the temporal realm, a good waterfront dinner and a beautiful sunset are about as good as it gets, but it’s nothing compared to the goodness of God. The church service that followed was absolutely Spirit-filled and overflowing, and the delicious food and beautiful view were just a hint at what was to come.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the world and all it has to offer, but all the world has to offer pales in comparison to the abundant life Jesus offers. “To all perfection I see a limit, but your commands are boundless” Psalm 119:96. Every enjoyable human experience is infinitely overshadowed by an encounter with the living Lord. Even the pinnacle of human experience, whatever that may be for each of us, is infinitely exceeded by the near presence of God. In the words of CS Lewis, “It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

Wherever you find yourself, whether it be a season of disheartened lack or a season of worldly abundance as described in Luke 12:18, lean into the Lord and ask for more of Him. ‘O taste and see that the Lord is good…’ Nothing else comes close. Blessed indeed.