Kept 3

Kept 3!

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

Psalms 34:8 NIV

This is the same chapter as the verse we considered yesterday. The psalm was written by David, a man who had come to know God on a very intimate level, and had experienced God on a level that most people of his generation had not. He spoke about God, not from hearsay, but from a place of personal encounter. It made all the difference; king Saul also made mistakes, committed sin too, but his heart was not right with God. David committed sin, but he would run to God as soon as he was made aware of his wrong. He sought God all through his life, whether away from prying eyes in the desert with the sheep, or in the king's palace. No wonder God was pleased with him and called him a man after his own heart. God is still looking for such people who will put all their hope and trust in him like David.

David asks us here to come and taste the Lord. There can never be a replacement for that personal encounter. Men and women of old had their stories to tell. A few like Lot were content to go along with other people who knew God. They did not seek God for themselves, and it is not a wonder that they ended up the way they did. Others like Abraham sought God out and when they found him, they would not let go, and till today, we enjoy the benefits of that man's discovery of God. No one experiences God and is able to keep it to himself; it is an experience that will take hold of you and flow out into the lives of all who come in contact with you.

In that same sentence of taste is see. The experience of God leaves a lasting impression in the mouth and on the eyes. The mouth is the doorway into a man's inner parts; if you would poison or excite a man, the mouth is one of the paths to that experience. No wonder David spoke about taste. If a man will also be led away and enticed or made to encounter the wonders of God's grace, the eyes are the path to that experience. My human senses are God's way of proving that he exists and can do whatever it is he has promised.

He offers all of himself, but he will not force himself in anyone. For as many people as come to him seeking refuge, he makes a clear promise that they will find him a suitable refuge. He calls such people blessed; what other definition can you give to a person who has found God for himself and has taken God at his word and is accessing all that God offers? That is the path of blessedness: being all that God wants for me, and able to access all that He offers.

Storms are coming, if they are not here already. Winds will blow and beat against the house, and tough times will come, but long before these things happen, God's promises are already with us. His protection, provision, power and peace are all freely given to us, waiting for us to embrace and possess. Like David the writer, I must come to the point where it is God or nothing at all. I must learn to completely trust in God. Even when I do or go wrong, God will not reject me to the end, as long as I repent and return to him. His grace is sufficient; can I trust him to the end? God's time of favour is here.