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The word “taste” is most frequently used to describe the action of experiencing a flavor of food or drink. In Psalm 34, the writer uses the word “taste” to describe a rich experiencing of the goodness of God. The psalmist focuses on two powerful human senses, “O taste and see that the Lord is good.”
The words “eating” and “tasting” mean different things: Eating involves the physical action of food consumption. However, it is when we taste, that we fully experience the food. Likewise, in our relationship with God, we can go through the activities of prayer, reading, singing, but it is when we are fully engaged and present in our worship experience that we truly taste the goodness of God. In our tasting, we are truly satisfied.
In our society, we have inequities and brokenness with food. Some dinner tables are overflowing with rich delicacies, while others are sparsely filled with the leftovers of others. But in our tasting of the goodness of the Lord, we are all made whole. Through Christ Jesus, this goodness is accessible to all and all are invited to the table.
This message is excerpted from “Taste and see” by Tiffany C. Chaney from the December 2016 Café online magazine.