Taste and See

Tongue Tying Minds

I saw a meme on Facebook the other day a mom had posted that said, “It’s almost that time to cook for two days straight just for my kid to take one bite of a roll and call it a day.”

Psychologists experimented with people’s willingness to try new foods, so they chopped some tomatoes, made some oatmeal, and prepared beefsteak. For the first group of participants they labeled it simply “tomatoes, oatmeal, and beefsteak” and the participants willingly chowed down on it.

The second group of participants were prepared the same things – tomatoes, oatmeal, and beefsteak but they were given made-up names, “pendula fruit, lat, and langua steaks”. The participants refused to try the foods!

It certainly shows how much our brains are involved in what we eat.

An Invitation to a Taste Test

If the brain is the gateway into broadening our palate, it would probably be a good idea to help our brains out and unpack the meaning behind King David’s statement in Psalm 34:

Psalm 3:8 NIV

From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.

When we think about God our minds probably don’t go into the sensory category of taste, so what was he thinking? More importantly what ought we be thinking about this passage? The Hebrew word David chose is taam—(1) it means properly to try the flavor of anything; (2) to eat a little so as to ascertain what a thing is; and then (3) to perceive by the mind, to try, to experience. [1]

At the Thanksgiving spread we all have our “go to’s”. Turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy but then it starts to diversify…stuffing? When I got to the South, I quickly learned what cornbread stuffing was, but I had to try it, eat a little of it, and experience it. Now there can’t be enough stuffing because I like every variety of it…the classic (bread and celery), cornbread, stuffing with sausage, apples, and cranberries (even oyster stuffing). Let’s have back-to-back Thanksgiving dinners to try it all!

Verse 8 challenges us to test the blessings of serving God. Check it out! Flavor it! Try just a little at first – you’re gonna love it! Open your mind to a new experience…it is going to be awesome.

Jesus Invites Us to Give It a Try!

Have you ever listened to parents trying to get their kids to try something new at Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving ought to be a break from serving chicken nuggets…AGAIN! Every Thanksgiving, a familiar drama plays out in homes across America. The table is full—turkey, stuffing, casseroles, rolls—and then that dish comes out. You know the one. It’s usually something green, something creamy, or something that wiggles suspiciously. And every kid at the table suddenly becomes a professional food critic. If you have kids, you may identify with this mom…

One year, a mom carefully placed a spoonful of sweet potato casserole in front of her son—golden brown marshmallows on top, the whole masterpiece. He crossed his arms, shook his head, and declared, “Nope. I already know I don’t like it.”

Mom, with the patience of Job, said, “How do you know you don’t like it? You’ve never tried it.”

But the boy refused. He didn’t want to be disappointed. He didn’t want something new. He didn’t want to trust that what was being offered was actually good for him—and maybe even something he’d love.

Finally, after enough encouragement, he agreed to take one bite. Just one.

He tasted it… paused… and then shouted loud enough for the neighbors to hear: “WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME THIS WAS DESSERT?!”

It’s amazing what kids are missing out on…and what adults miss out on. David is saying that to every generation, “taste and see. You don’t realize what you’re missing out on!”

Jesus Invites Us to Try Trusting Him

What do we have to lose? Have you found anywhere else to place your trust?

Psalm 34:19–20 NIV

The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.

David isn’t foolish enough to believe that we will not have problems. In fact, Bible scholars tell us that this psalm was written while David was running from King Saul and the Philistine King Achish. David had to put on a show of being crazy to avoid getting killed but in his heart was his conviction that God was able to deliver him.

I probably shouldn’t tell this story, but the point of the story may help. When my friends and I were traveling through the winding roads of Pennsylvania we used CB radios to help pass slow cars. The first vehicle would radio in that it was clear to pass, even on curves where no one in their right mind would pass. It was an exercise in trust. The point is trust doesn’t always make sense when we are in the moment. But when Jesus is directing us, we can be confident that everything is going to be alright.

Jesus Invites Us to Try His Protection

Cranberries…here is another underrated Thanksgiving treat. Cranberries were probably at the first Thanksgiving in Massachusetts but didn’t became popular until the 1930’s when Marcus Urann mass produced cranberries in the famous shape of a can. I’ll eat it that way, but I much prefer Cindy’s cranberry salad mixed with all kinds of other goodness.

You’ll miss out on the unique flavors of cranberries if you don’t try it! If you don’t try Jesus, you’ll miss out on His protection.

Psalm 34:17 NIV

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.

I was praying in my backyard, and I decided to just start talking to God like He was sitting next to me. The squirrels probably thought I was nuts. But I wanted a natural moment. This verse says that the Lord hearsus. That is significant in itself. We want to be heard. To make it even better we learn that He delivers us from our troubles. He doesn’t just hear us, but He acts in favor of us.

I found myself stumbling over words as I talked to God. I thought some of what was on my mind was insignificant to the God who created the trees in front of me. But, at the same time my concerns (my troubles) were real. I thought about a parable that I had just read about a bad judge who kept being asked for help with an adversary. Even though the judge couldn’t care less, he relented and granted her request. Jesus adds…

Luke 18:6–8 NIV

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly…

My family and I look forward to Cindy’s cranberry salad every year, but it wouldn’t be anything if we had refused to try it. God’s protection means nothing unless we are willing to taste and see that the Lord is good.

Jesus Invites Us to Try His Comfort

The comfort food of Thanksgiving has to be, hands down, the rolls. Everybody wants hot soft buttery rolls!

Psalm 34:18 NIV

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

How can we live such a victorious life in Christ, a life so victorious that it conquers even the most terrible circumstances?

The superintendent of a mission school read the text, “My yoke is easy.” Turning to the children she asked, “Who can tell me what a yoke is?” A little girl said, “Something they put on the necks of animals.” Then she inquired, “What is the meaning of God’s yoke?” All were silent for a moment, when the hand of a four-year-old child went up and she said, “God putting his arms around our necks.” What could be more comforting than that?[2]

Jesus began his ministry with this quotation from Isaiah:

Luke 4:18–19 NIV

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

What does that look like for me and you today? Christianity is not book knowledge. It is not an optional philosophy class in college. It is the good news that the angels announced to the shepherds. It is freedom that the prisoners saw demonstrated by Paul and Silas around the midnight hour while they sang and prayed in prison. Christianity is the opened eyes, restored feet, and relief from the torment of the demonic. It is the spiritual fulfillment of the year of Jubilee. Taste and see!

Feast on Jesus!

There is so much more that I could point out about the goodness of God. So many more reasons that David says, “Taste and see”. Communion is a sensory reminder that God is good. We eat the bread and drink the cup. It is a reminder of the goodness of God and encompasses things not even covered in David’s psalm – redemption and atonement – through which we are offered salvation.

John 6:53–58 NIV

Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

When Jesus made this statement, it was just too much for many of the people listening to Jesus. The Bible tells us that many turned away but it really was just a restatement of David’s, “taste and see”.

Jesus Invites Us to Try Happiness in Him

Have you found Jesus to be ultimately satisfying? Thanksgiving meals can sometimes fall short of perfection. The rolls might be burnt. My pecan pie might be runny. But Jesus is perfect, every time, in every situation.

King David used his pen to encourage people to try Jesus. He was convinced that if someone just put their trust in God, if they just tested the comforts that God provides, that they would thoroughly enjoy the blessings of it. They would experience divine happiness.

A Bible scholar put it this way:

If those who are in danger would look to him; if sinners would believe in him; if the afflicted would seek him; if the wretched would cast their cares on him; if they who have sought in vain for happiness in the world, would seek happiness in him,—they would, one and all, so surely find what they need that they would renounce all else, and put their trust alone in God. Of this the psalmist was certain; of this all are sure who have sought for happiness in religion and in God.[3]

Taste and see…the LORD IS GOOD!

[1]Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament: Psalms, vol. 1 (London: Blackie & Son, 1870–1872), 290.

[2]Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Practical Illustrations: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians(Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2001), 53.

[3]Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament: Psalms, vol. 1 (London: Blackie & Son, 1870–1872), 290.