Taste and See

Read: Psalm 34

"O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" Psalm 34:8

Examine:

During the time of this Psalm David was on the run from Saul. In an attempt to save his life, David had pretended to be mad. David's assumption was that Saul would lose interest in him if he thought David had gone crazy. David's error in judgment lost him his safe haven with Abimelech and so he ended up hiding in a cave.

Tasting the Lord to see that He is good or taking refuge in Him is more than a experiment or trial. This Psalm reveals at least three ways to taste of God's refuge and supply.

Apply:

I have to allow my lips to be filled with continual praise and blessing towards God. David says that He blesses Him continually. I have to train my soul to constantly boast in God. Regardless of what I face in life there is always a visible quality of God that is worthy of my praise.

I also have to flee evil and pursue peace. True fear of God results in me making different choices. My awe of God, my dependency on him, and my love for Him should compel me to run away from things that are evil and draw me towards a righteous pursuit of peace.

Finally, I have cry out to him. Verses fifteen through twenty-two paint an incredible picture of a man crying out to God for deliverance. I often pray at God and then try to bail myself out. If I am to taste of the Lord then I must move past feeling like I can do it on my own and place all of my hope solely in God.

Pray:

Father,

I am struggling with this word today. The balance between contributing my part and letting You work is a hard one to find. There are many things that contribute to this struggle.

Sometimes the problem is that Your silence is deafening. I call out to You and it feels like I hear nothing in response. There are other times when I get a sense of direction that seems to make so much sense that I think it must have been from You. I jump on that idea and things go from bad to worse. Then there are the times that I do not even bother with seeking You. I go my own way and do my own thing. In all three of these scenarios I usually find myself sitting alone fighting my confusion and tending to my wounds.

I to often allow the weight of the world to distort the worthiness of Your praise. I ask that You feel my heart with a well spring of hope that is based solely on Your worth and this protected from circumstances. You are so worthy. During moments of silence I pray that You strengthen me to not press the panic button. I am incredibly impatient. The digital world has only served to heighten my sense of being entitled to an immediate answer or solution. Silence is a healthy discipline; teach me to walk in it well. Train me to better discern Your voice and help me to accept Your outcomes even though they may not result in my comfort.