Taste and See

What would a mango taste like if we had no taste buds? Probably like wet brown paper or a damp sponge. Not very tasty, you would agree.

That delicious mango taste comes from taste buds, and on average, a person has about ten thousand. These taste buds are replaced every two weeks or so, constantly allowing us to experience tastes that are sweet, salty, sour, and bitter.

“O taste and see that the LORD is good,” sings the psalmist in Psalm 34:8.

How do we taste and see the Lord? We do it by experiencing the Lord for ourselves. But how do we taste the goodness of the Lord? Jacob experienced His goodness on his flight from Laban when he fought with the angel and would not let go until he received a blessing (Genesis 32:24–30). It was a real encounter, and Jacob came away with his hip out of joint.

What blessing do you desperately need? How long are you willing to wrestle with God until you receive your blessing? When our daughter, June, was a tiny six-year-old, our family tasted the goodness of the Lord in a way we will never forget.

As June was crossing a street in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, a Cadillac struck her and tossed her into the air. Soon an ambulance blared through the busy streets, rushing our child to the hospital. There, the emergency staff found her to be absolutely unharmed.

Thank you, Jesus! Not a broken bone.

A nurse gave her a lollipop and turned her over to her grateful family. Today, June is a wife and mother. We are still thanking God for that miracle in Boston.

When we taste—experience—the Lord, we realize how good He is.

Who paid the bill that kept us up at night? Who brought the prodigal child back home? Who broke the fever when we sat up all night changing cold rags on our child’s forehead, agonizing with the Friend of little children for healing? Who created peace in the midst of domestic strife? Who saved our little June from serious injury or death that summer in Boston? Oh, my sisters, “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the [woman] who trusts in Him” (Psalm 34:8, NKJV).

Annette Walwyn Michael