God’s Goodness | Taste and See That the Lord is Good
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Every day of our lives, in small or big ways, we are reminded of how good God is! Yet, in spite of all the beautiful reminders each of us encounter, we can often forget God’s goodness.
Psalm 34:8 says that we are to “taste and see that the Lord is good” but how do we do that?
Join us as we discover ways to “taste and see” and encounter the goodness of God!
Why We Must Taste and See That the Lord is Good
God is good. Our existence, Jesus’ life, God’s Word, every sunrise and sunset, everything that is of God… all of this confirms that the Lord is good. But, even for us as Believers, this is not always easily remembered…
Yet, the goodness of God is an integral part of His character. It is what makes Him a loving Father. A faithful Friend. A wonderful, patient Teacher. It is a key part in His justice and mercy. It is our God!
Remembering and living with this truth inside us is necessary if we are going to be able to fully trust God or to walk in faith. If we think that we have a mean God who is unkind, unjust, and lacks goodness, then why would we want to deepen our relationship with Him or to bring souls to Him? However, if we understand and believe that we have a kind, just, and good God, not only can we develop a relationship with Him that is deep and meaningful, but our trust in Him will draw others to God!
Knowing we have a good God also increases our faith, it allows us to easily see the hand of God at work, causes an increased expectation of good things, creates a space for joy, it builds hope, and so much more! Trusting that God is good may not appear to be a big thing, but it brings big results! It furthers God’s Kingdom while doing all the wonderful things we discussed! As Believers, realizing that we have a good God is critical. But how do we do it?
Well, Psalm 34:8 says, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”
We need to “taste and see.” We need to be intentional and act. But what does it mean to “taste and see?” How does that connect to the goodness of God?
What Does it Mean to Taste and See?
Taste and sight are two senses; through them information is imparted. While in the natural, taste is limited to what we eat or in some ways, smell, and sight is limited to what we see with our eyes… this is not entirely accurate in spiritual terms.
Consider taste. This, when exploring the spiritual view, could mean:
- Consuming the Word of God
- Consuming what we speak—bad or good
- Consuming content—books, movies, etc.
- Consuming gossip
- Consuming addictions—shopping, food, entertainment, etc.
- Consuming habits and patterns
Though these are only a few examples, through them we discover that we can “taste” good or bad things; and that they are not limited to what is normally eaten.
Now, let us consider sight. When reflecting on this with a spiritual lens, to “see” can mean:
- Seeing what we are focused on
- Seeing what we allow before our eyes, or rather, what we allow into our lives
- Seeing truth by allowing Holy Spirit to direct our gaze
- Seeing others/things through a filter—bad or good
- Seeing the evidence of God’s Word and goodness
Through these examples we discover that to spiritually “see” does not only involve what we see with our eyes… it can range from the outlook of our heart, all the way to what we allow inside of us.
In order to “taste and see that the Lord is good” there has to be intention. Because our thoughts, words, hearts… what we do or do not do… our focus… these all play a part in what we will taste and see!
How Do We Taste and See That the Lord is Good?
As we have discovered, “taste and see” can cover a lot of aspects of our lives. However, while this broadness may have us believing that tasting and seeing the Lord is good must therefore be difficult… it actually does not have to be. And choosing to “taste and see that the Lord is good” can actually allow us to move closer to achieving other biblical goals!
So, how can we come to see that we have a good God?
Well, we can:
- Spend Time in the Word Daily
- Reading the Word of God allows us to know who God is. It also directly reaffirms through many verses that we have a good God, and indirectly confirms it through the rest He gives. Yes, spending time in the Word is always a sound decision. However, by making it a daily habit, it allows the truth within it to grow strong roots within us!
- Always Thank God
- Thanking God is one of the ways we honor Him. By choosing to thank God daily, we not only create a positive outlook within us, we begin to notice the good things that we previously overlooked. As we create a habit of thankfulness, we will find that not only are we noticing a lot of good things, but also that God is pouring out a greater abundance of them!
- Ask God to Direct Us, then “Listen”
- One key to knowing the goodness of God is to spend time with God. Talking and listening to God is an amazing way to accomplish this! Letting God lead, even in the “mundane,” allows greater opportunity for us to see the goodness of God. God is a loving God, He does not want to force His company on us, but when we allow Him to direct our steps, divine encounters, favor, and goodness are made manifest!
Every day we have a choice, to focus on the goodness of God or not. When we focus on the goodness of God, we find love, joy, hope, patience, and more! However, when we do not focus on the goodness of God, we can get bogged down in doubt, fear, hopelessness, worry, impatience, and the like.
Thankfulness is one aspect of our focus, God’s Word another, and so forth… but as we go through each day, we can make small decisions to focus on God’s goodness.
When negativity tries to grab hold, we can accept the mind of Christ.
When confusion attempts to gain purchase, we can ask God to clear it away and direct our steps.
The key is to turn to God at the first sign of trouble rather than waiting until we have no other solution. He is our first and best source of help. He is our GOOD GOD! And in Him there is nothing that cannot be faced… nothing that cannot be overcome.
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.”
—Psalm 100:4-5