Taste and See
April 28, 2020
By Jason Waldrep, Associate Director of Worship
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him” (Psalm 34:8)
It is amazing how God created us to experience the world around us. With our senses, we are able to receive data through receptors that our brain translates into different experiences. It takes a complex biological, electrical, and chemical web of information to create a single experience, but we literally have thousands upon thousands of them every single day. From the things we see, objects we touch, aromas we smell, sounds we hear, and food we taste, our bodies are experienced factories that are one second away from the next memorable or totally forgettable moment.
So let’s talk specifically about taste. Imagine me offering you a slice of juicy lemon. Now imagine taking it and putting it directly in your mouth. Now bite down. Anything happen? Just writing these words, I started salivating instantly. Maybe you did, too. Tasting is a powerful sensory experience!
Our experiences of taste are so powerful, they embed deep into our memories. These experiences, whether pleasurable or painful, become firmly planted into the soil of our human experience. This is why we all have our list of go-to “comfort foods,” or foods we enjoy, that bring satisfaction not only to our tummies but also to our souls. When I catch a cold, I crave yuk gae jang, a spicy beef and vegetable Korean soup. Just tasting it makes me feel better instantly.
When the psalmist David says “taste and see that the Lord is good,” I believe he is inviting us to experience God in a new way. David is using the experience of taste here as a spiritual call to action because of taste’s ability to create experiences that develop new cravings and shape new habits in us. When we taste something delicious, it creates a desire in us for more, which then often leads to new behaviors that make it possible for us to continue experiencing this pleasure or comfort. If you’ve ever made a trip to the potato chip bowl with the intent to eat just one, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
David is speaking from experience and believes that when we taste and see ourselves that God is good, we will continue to crave Him and create new habits of experiencing Him. This is why the second half of the verse says “blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.” The sensory experience of tasting is so powerful that we can’t help but go back for more. Like returning to that chip bowl over and over again, the Lord becomes who we return to time and time again for spiritual sustenance and satisfaction.
Pastor Dan reminded us on Sunday that Jesus Himself invites us to experience Him in this same way. Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28 are an invitation to taste and see. “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus is not simply inviting us to a meeting, He’s inviting us to a sensory experience, an encounter with Himself that will bring supernatural rest. Just one encounter with Jesus can change our spiritual reality, create new desires, and forge new habits in our daily lives, but we have to be willing to taste and see. We have to be willing to accept His invitation. We must be willing to try.
Prayer: God, in the midst of all the uncertainty, anxiety, and fear, help us to turn to You before anything else. Nothing satisfies like You. Give us the strength and wisdom to seek Your presence in new ways throughout our day, and to accept the invitation to experience You, Your rest, and Your goodness always. Amen.
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