By Rev. J. Loren Russell
”Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”
Psalm 34:8 (KJV)
The Oxford Bible Commentary says the 34th Psalm is structured in three stages:
Verses 1-3 – A Call to Praise
Verses 4-10 – Thanksgiving
Verses 11-21 – Wisdom and instruction.
In the first verse, David says he has made up his mind to bless the Lord at all times! That means, no matter the circumstance or situation, God would be praised! Not just his mouth, but his entire being, including his soul. His praise would be so exuberant that the humble would be glad. They will cheer up and rejoice along with him.
His praise is so energetic that he invites others to join him. “Oh, magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together.” All of this in the first three verses while he is being pursued and running for his life. The focal verse (8) is one of thanksgiving. He invites all of those who decided to praise the Lord with him to taste and see for themselves how good the Lord really is.
To taste (Hebrew ta’am) is defined in the Concordance as the ability to discern or to choose to delight yourself in good things. When they get a taste of the Lord, they will know His goodness for themselves. He extended that invitation because he himself experienced the goodness of the Lord; he sought Him and He heard his cry. When He heard David’s cry, He delivered him from those who were chasing him. He was telling his audience, “Just look at me! I am living proof of His goodness and His mercy. Go ahead, take a taste and see for yourself how good He is.” While he was running, his faith was strengthened.
Sometimes, it’s in your worst situation and the most challenging of circumstances that you need to take a minute to taste and see just how blessed you are.
Anthony Tidwell penned the words, “When I look back over my life and I think things over, I can truly say that I’ve been blessed. I’ve got a testimony.” He went on to say, “Sometimes I couldn’t see my way through, But the Lord He brought me out. Right now, I’m free! I’ve got the victory! I’ve got a testimony” (emphasis mine).
We are in challenging times right now with a worldwide pandemic that we call the Coronavirus. But if you have any doubt about the blessings the Lord has given you or just how good He is, I invite you read verse 19 which says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” So I close with the exhortation of David; ”Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” You are blessed!
Be Blessed!
Rev. J. Loren Russell is President/CEO of JLR for Church Financial Strategy and Consulting, an associate minister at both Goodwill and The Greater Universal Baptist Churches in the Bronx, and creator & host of “Matters of Faith – The Radio Show” – Mondays 8:00 – 10:00 PM. Listen and view on Matters of Faith on Facebook.
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