Psalm 34:8 - Experience Jesus and Find Fullness of Joy.
Psalm 34:8: Experience Jesus and Find Fullness of Joy.
Psalm 34:8 (KJV) O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed
is the man that trusteth in him.
Psalm 34:8 (NLT) Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the
joys of those who trust in him!
Psalm 34:8 (TEV) Find out for yourself how good the LORD is.
Happy are those who find safety with him.
COMMENTARY PEARL
Today's Scripture reads, "Taste and see that the Lord is
good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him." Jonathan Edwards
drew a parallel between honey and this verse. You might conclude that
honey is honey because it's golden, has a certain viscosity, or has
bits of honeycomb in it. Or just put a drop on your tongue! Truly
knowing honey is to taste that it is sweet, delicious, and delightful.
There's nothing quite like it.
The same can be said about our knowledge of God. We can
conclude that God is God because we've read facts or heard sermons about
Him. But even the devil knows the facts about God! We must taste and
see that the Lord is good, sweet, and delightful. How do we do that?
The psalmist wrote, "Blessed is the one who takes refuge in him."
Crowd in close to Him. Open your heart to Him. Call on Him often.
Linger in His Words. Lean on His strength.
Lord, Your Word is sweeter than honey, and I find You utterly
delightful. Awaken my heart even more to Your beauty and splendor. And show
me what it means to really take refuge in You today. To hide myself
in You, to quiet my heart in Your presence, even in the midst of so
much busyness and activity. [A Spectacle of Glory by Joni Eareckson
Tada and Larry Libby]
ILLUSTRATIONS
When you make your way into a kitchen and catch the aroma of
chocolate chip cookies in the oven, you want to linger, don't you? You can
easily imagine how one of those cookies, still warm with melty
chocolate chips, will taste with a glass of cold milk. Or picture this:
You're walking by a west-facing window and catch a glimpse of a sunset
so bright and so vivid in its bands of colors that you hurry out
the door to take it all in. That's the way it can be in our walk
with Christ. We're reading in the Psalms and catch just a tiny whiff
of His fragrance. And we want more! We've set aside a few minutes
to get alone with Him in prayer, and we see a tiny glimpse - hardly
a flash - of His glory. And our heart hungers to see more. The
more we see of Him, the more we desire Him.
Holy Spirit, I know this is Your work. You whet my appetite
to be with the Father. You grant me a tiny taste of heaven on the
tip of my tongue and awaken my longing to experience more. You bring
me into a moment of companionship with God's Son, and I want it to
last all day. [A Spectacle of Glory by Joni Eareckson Tada and Larry
Libby]
A restaurant owner at the food court in the local mall is
aggressive in his tactics. He offers a sample not only to those who walk by
his counter; he waves and shouts loudly at those passing by on the
other side of the dining area. He takes eye contact, even from a
hundred feet away, as a commitment to try his food. He wants everyone to
taste it because he believes it's the best around.
David urges his readers to taste and see that the Lord is
good. In other words, "try Him out." That may seem a little too
transactional for our spiritual sensibilities, but it's nonetheless biblical.
God Himself, through the prophet Malachi, issued a similar
invitation centuries later: "Test me in this," He said about tithing, "and
see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out
so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it"
(Malachi 3:10, NIV). He wants His promises to be tried and tested. He
wants His Presence to be tasted. He wants to be sampled because He
knows He's the best around.
There are times in our relationship with Him when we wonder
if He's ever going to come through for us, when our current
circumstances contradict our hopes for the future, when the tension between
our desires and our experience is almost too much to bear. In those
times, we can hear Him say, "Do you trust Me?" And if we can take a
deep breath, let go of our intensity, and say yes, we will find Him
to be trustworthy. That's the promise. If we can take a heartfelt
step and cast ourselves completely on Him, we will find joy. Those
who taste will experience the best there is.
Lord, I cast myself on You - completely. I let go of my
anxieties and agendas and say yes to trusting You. Let me taste and see
the depth of Your goodness. [The One Year Experiencing Gods
Presence Devotional by Chris Tiegreen]
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Taste and see that I am good. This command contains an
invitation to experience My living Presence. It also contains a promise.
The more you experience Me, the more convinced you become of My
goodness. This knowledge is essential to your faith-walk. When adversities
strike, the human instinct is to doubt My goodness. My ways are
mysterious, even to those who know Me intimately. As the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are My ways and thoughts higher than your ways and
thoughts. Do not try to fathom My ways. Instead, spend time enjoying Me
and experiencing My goodness. (Psa. 34:8; Isa. 55:8, 9) [Jesus
Calling by Sarah Young]
Taste and see that I am good. The more intimately you
experience Me, the more convinced you become of My goodness. I am the
Living One who sees you and longs to participate in your life. I am
training you to find Me in each moment and to be a channel of My loving
Presence. Sometimes My blessings come to you in mysterious ways: through
pain and trouble. At such limes you can know My goodness only through
your trust in Me. Understanding will fail you, but trust will keep
you close to Me.
Thank Me for the gift of My Peace, a gift of such immense
proportions that you cannot fathom its depth or breadth. When I appeared to
My disciples after the resurrection, it was Peace that I
communicated first of all. I knew this was their deepest need: to calm their
fears and clear their minds. I also speak Peace to you, for I know
your anxious thoughts. Listen to Me! Tune out other voices, so that
you can hear Me more clearly. I designed you to dwell in Peace all
day, every day. Draw near to Me; receive My Peace. (Psa. 34:8; Gen.
16:13, 14; John 20:19; Col. 3:15) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE:
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2011/20110213-1923.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2007/20070219-1206.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2004/20040315-1549.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Musical Devotional On Christian Living:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Discover Bible Studies: http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: http://www.bibleresearch.info/
ABible.com: http://www.aBible.com
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Restoring The Power by John Bradshaw:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRogO1SxoZN15Boa7BMon4BouVMdteVaq
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
