“Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him!” (Psalm 34.8)

You may already be familiar with the first half of this verse (especially if you like really old Petra) and if so you have probably heard or thought about it primarily in the context of evangelism – encouraging those who don’t know the Lord to give a relationship with Jesus a try (that was Petra’s take in that song). This verse works in that context, but I don’t think it’s limited to that.

Remember that David was writing, not to outsiders, but to fellow Israelites who were already in covenant relationship with Yahweh. He wasn’t encouraging them to enter into relationship, he was urging them to trust Yahweh more, as the next verse explains: “Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear Him will have all they need.”

These days the verse reminds me of all the times I try to get my kids to try new foods. They are already acquainted with food, but I want them to explore new tastes, I want them to widen their palate, becoming more mature in what foods they enjoy.

That is my encouragement to you today. If you are reading this, you probably already have a relationship with God (you may even be ‘godly’ as David said), but there is still more of the Lord to taste, there are still areas of your life where you can see the goodness of God breaking in (perhaps for the first time). Meditate on Ps. 34.8 this week. Focus on each word in turn and see what images or analogies occur to you. Reflect on those. Let the Spirit lead you into the depth of truth contained in this verse. And when you come to those moments of crisis, anxiety, fear, etc., repeat this to yourself, ‘taste and see that the Lord is good,’ and let Him be good in your life. Let Him supply all you need.