“AN APPETITE FOR THE LORD!”
Rev. J. Loren Russell
Psalms 34:8 NKJV
“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”
In the three times I developed COVID, I never experienced symptoms that included a loss of my sense of taste. I can only imagine what it would be like to be unable to distinguish between my favorite food and a piece of cardboard. That’s how friends have described the feeling of having food in abundance, but no appetite. When you have an appetite and access to that which you desire, the acquisition and the consumption of that delicacy is like honey in your mouth. If there is no appetite, nothing tastes good. The psalmist’s words encourage us to develop an appetite for the Lord, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.”
King David wrote this psalm when he pretended to be insane before king Abimelech, a conniving and evil man who killed all but one of his 71 brothers to eliminate the possibility of any of them being selected as king of Shechem. King Abimelech was noted for his murderous nature.
This bit of information about Abimelech is important in the context of David having to fake insanity. Had he not pretended to be insane, he also would have died by the sword of Abimelech. This psalm encourages him and tells his listeners (psalms are songs that were to be sung) to taste and see that the Lord is good. While living under the threat of death, this song directs his listeners to bless the Lord at all times, praising and trusting Him continually.
That was David’s way of stimulating the appetite of his listeners by first sharing his personal testimony; that he sought the Lord, cried out to Him, and was delivered from his fears (v. 4). He then shares the experiences of others with an appetite for the Lord. When they sought the Lord, they were radically changed, they became radiant, filled with confidence, and delivered from their troubles.
If that was not enough, David tells them that the Lord encamps Himself around and delivers those who love and worship Him. Then comes the big challenge, to taste and see for themselves that the Lord is good, and that the promise of happiness is for everyone who trusts and takes refuge in Him.
David uses the next 15 verses (9-22) reassuring his readers that a satisfied appetite for the Lord results in a life protected by God in every way, and on every day!
If you have not developed an appetite for God’s grace, let David’s song stimulate your taste buds. You don’t have to take my word for it. You don’t have to believe David. You can try Him for yourself! “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.”
Be Blessed!
Rev. J. Loren Russell is President/CEO of The JLR Company and The J. Loren R Consulting, LLC for Church Financial Strategy & Consulting, an associate minister at Goodwill Baptist Church and the Clergy Leader for the Evangelical Church of God, both in the Bronx, Chief chaplain for the NYS Chaplain Workers Task Force, creator & host of “Matters of Faith – The Radio Show,” Mondays 8:00 – 10:00 PM on Facebook LIVE, and author of Matters of Faith: The Book (eBook available at www.smashwords.com/books/view/993177).
Follow Us