The Taste Test
I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. – Psalm 34:4.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! – Psalm 34:8.
Peggy Whitson is the science officer on the International Space Station and Peggy has a problem because after 130 days in space, she no longer likes shrimp. She had planned to have 40 meals made up in part of her favorite food on earth, which is shrimp. Whitson shares, “Sometimes, when you come to space, your tastes change. One of my favorite foods on the ground is shrimp, and up here I can’t stand it.” Peggy has experienced a change in tastes.
The Psalmist urges, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good….” Before we have Jesus as our Savior, we have a different taste. Without God in our lives, we have a taste for the things of the world and our fleshly nature craves what the world has to offer. We are used to our worldly diet and have little desire to change to anything else. But everything changes when God comes into our lives and takes up residence (2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Corinthians 3:16). Suddenly, we have a different taste. Though we sometimes continue to crave it the world is no longer delicious. It is no longer so wonderful because when we eat of it, we are left with a foul taste in our lives. It is the taste of death (Romans 6:23a).
When we taste of the things of God, we discover the most amazing thing because instead of death we find the glorious taste of life (John 10:10b) and redemption for our souls (Psalm 34:22). With the Heavenly diet, we find deliverance from our fears (Psalm 34:4) and the angel of the Lord encamps all around us (Psalm 34:7). The more we avoid our previous tastes and instead seek God the more peace we find (Psalm 34:14).
The choice is clear, and the conclusion of the taste test is clear – the world brings the foul taste of death and God brings the amazing taste of life. Taste of the Heavenly things of God and experience the joy of life for yourself. David speaks of this joy in his praise and worship of God, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord. The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. They looked to Him and were radiant…. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him (Psalm 34:1-3, 5a, 8)!”
(The world brings the foul taste of death and God brings the amazing taste of life.)