“Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the
joys of those who take refuge in him!” Psalm
34:8 (NLT)
“Drink your food for the next three weeks!”
Doctor’s orders for my 6-year-old girl.
A few days before, our daughter followed her big
brothers down a hill on her bike — a hill that
proved too tall for our youngest bike rider. After
x-rays, cat scans and doctors’ evaluations, they
determined she suffered a badly broken jaw.
To help her heal, they sealed her jaw shut. Wires
clenched her teeth together to provide stability
for her bones and reduce the risk of greater
trauma. Her new normal demanded a liquid diet.
The task of finding one meal for my daughter to
drink, much less three weeks’ worth of meals,
left me concerned.
I walked up and down the grocery store
gathering ideas. Hmmm ... we could blend this
and add that, and oooh I bet she’d like this.
The first meal I served through a straw we
named the “pizza drink.” OK, it was really just
tomato soup, but anytime you can add pizza to
the title it sounds so much better.
After a few days, we landed on a favorite
breakfast drink. Because it was her favorite
color, we named it the “pink drink,” and it
immediately became a staple. She liked most
sweet, fruit-filled drinks, but after a few days of
mostly fruit smoothies, her new diet began to
take a toll on her body.
She felt dizzy and emotional, and her already
lean body grew even thinner.
We tried heartier drinks like chicken soup and
chocolate peanut butter shakes, but she didn’t
want them. We practically begged her to drink
them, but she wouldn’t.
Maybe she didn’t like the color. Maybe she
didn’t like the smell. Maybe she thought it was
too thick or too thin. I don’t really know, but
somehow she came to the conclusion the new
drinks weren’t good, and she wouldn’t drink
them.
Our key verse highlights a different kind of
goodness. One not for our stomachs, but for our
souls. I’m afraid that much like my daughter
made up her mind about her liquids before they
ever touched her tongue, we, too, can form
opinions about God and His goodness.
Then, when tragedy strikes or life shatters our
expectations, we don’t take refuge in the Lord or
His goodness. When the worst-case scenario
plays out or our future feels hopeless, we turn to
what’s familiar, even if it fails us.
For me, familiar means working harder. When
chaos swirls around me, my instinct is to think
longer, talk more, stay up later or type faster. I
want to turn inward and lean on myself.
All the while my Bible sits closed on the table as
the words tucked into the pages beckon
me, “Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh,
the joys of those who take refuge in
him!” (Psalm 34:8)
After several days of failed attempts to convince
my little girl to sip something new, we finally
found an answer. One night she decided she
loved blended chicken pot pie. She took one sip
and was hooked. Hallelujah! I have no
explanation other than we prayed desperately for
God to help us nourish her through this time.
She drank a lot of chicken pot pie over the next
few weeks. And the more she drank the less she
complained of feeling dizzy or tired. She tasted,
and she saw what we prepared for her was
good.
To taste God’s goodness, we must first be
willing to try it. Because tasting is something no
one else can do for you. Sure, I can take a bite
and tell you how wonderful it is, but you have to
taste it for yourself.
So let me do just that. Friend, I’ve tasted and
seen that the Lord. Is. Good. He’s better than
anything I’ve ever tried. And He’s left me so full
I don’t need to try anything else. If I could sit
across the table from you right now I’d slide
God’s Word your way and say, you have to try
this!
Our good, gracious and unmatchable Lord, You.
Are. Good. Forgive me for ever seeking to satisfy
my soul somewhere else. Thank You for Your
continual pursuit of us, beckoning us to taste
and see all that awaits us when we take refuge
in You. Help me today to turn to You. In
Jesus’ Name, Amen.
TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 42:1, “As the deer pants for streams of
water, so my soul pants for you, my God.” (NIV)
Matthew 4:4 , “Jesus answered, ‘It is written:
“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every
word that comes from the mouth of
God.”’” (NIV)
RELATED RESOURCES:
Have you ever felt like you’re working so hard to
be a “better” Christian, only to feel more
frustrated than ever? Join us for the next First 5
study, “Christ Alone,” and read Paul’s letters as
he communicates one simple truth: Jesus is all
you need. The study starts May 22 — get
your Experience Guide here ! Don’t have the app
yet? Download the First 5 app for free !
CONNECT:
Stop by Katy McCown’s blog today for some
practical ways to taste God’s goodness and to
enter to win a free registration to her new online
retreat, Your Life: Simplified .
REFLECT AND RESPOND:
Think of a time in your life that was hard. Where
did you turn first? Was it to a friend or family
member? Did you seek out physical comfort from
a person or drink or food?
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