Taste and See

If you never taste turtle meat, you will never know what turtle meat tastes like. Someone could describe the flavor, explain its texture and aroma, and suggest different ways to prepare and serve it, but a verbal description cannot be compared to actually tasting. Without this experience, you still would not know the flavor of a well-cooked turtle.

Psalm 34:8 says, “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” If you do not give the Lord a chance with your life, you will never experience what it is like to be a child of the King. You will never know the peace, joy, love, strength, and help that only Jesus can give. Someone can try to put into words what it is like to know that your sins are forgiven. They can describe what peace will be yours when you know you are on your way to Heaven. But you will never really know what it is like until you “taste” it for yourself.

Sometimes children will say they don’t like a certain food even though they have never tasted it. They decide, after only looking at it, that this food is not for them. Some people are like this with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They have never tasted of it, yet they say it is not for them. They may have encountered a hypocrite, or perhaps someone who had never tasted the wholesome goodness of the Gospel told them it isn’t good. However, this should not stop them from taking a taste of the real thing.

I ate some deep-fried turtle meat a few years ago. I haven’t tasted any since that time, though, so I don’t really recall what it tastes like. If I had maintained a steady diet of turtle meat, I could tell you what it is like. The same thought holds true in the Gospel. We must keep our salvation up-to-date and keep tasting that living water. Otherwise we will not be able to recall the flavor. We may have some elusive memories of what it was like to serve the Lord, but even those memories will possibly disappear in time.

“Taste and see,” understand and enjoy what the Lord offers. You can find out for yourself that the Lord is good. Then keep praying, reading God’s Word, and worshiping Him. You will continue to know what it is like to be an official partaker of the blessings that only a true Christian can enjoy. God will not disappoint you if you give Him a chance!