ON THE VANGUARD

TASTE AND SEE
“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.”
Psalm 34:8

I read a quote by A. W. Tozer last night. Tozer was a teenager when he came to Christ, inspired by the words of a street preacher whom he’d heard while heading home one night from work. It was that one spark of the preacher’s words that opened the heart of Tozer for God to do His thing, and the end result was a man given to Christ and who gave 44 years into full time ministry. While Tozer himself preached full time, he also found the time to write nearly 40 books, with his most familiar writing being The Pursuit of God. It is from this book that I found this simple quote that has been stirring my heart and invading my dreams last night. “O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more.”
Psalm 42:1 quotes David expressing his desire for God as a deer desires and pants for water. This scripture alone challenges me in my relationship with Christ to the point where I have to ask myself if my hunger for God matches that of David. Do you ever find yourself reading this verse and questioning the same idea? Maybe it is just me. But after reading the words of Tozer last night, my mind automatically though about Psalm 34:8. “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.” When was the last time we tasted God? I mean really, got close enough to Him to lick Him and process his flavor? I know this thought sounds funny, but think about it. When was the last time we allowed ourselves to taste and enjoy the goodness of the Lord?
I am sure that David was one of those who tasted the Lord daily. When things were going bad and his enemies were chasing after him, David met with God and tasted His goodness. But David was not a lukewarm friend of God, coming to Him only when things were bad. No, David also came to God to taste His goodness when things were good, perplexing, festive, and in every other emotion. David tasted the Lord, and as a result saw the blessings on his life that come from a relationship with the one he found his refuge in. That begs the question then of where am I finding my refuge? Am I seeking my refuge in my friends, my wallet, or some kind of medication? If so, then I am not right in the head because these things will only further detour me from the real flavor of God.
When will we stop pretending and heading down the wrong paths for convenience sake? When will we stop chasing the wind and instead start chasing after God with a passion like David or Tozer, where we know the only thing we need is found in only God? Once we taste God we will be both satisfied and desiring of more. But it is that first drink, that first taste of God that we need in our mouths getting our pallet wet for Him. I have tasted many good things, yet no flavor I have tasted will ever be as good a taste as God. I encourage you then, whether for the first time or thousandth time, to make the effort to taste God. In this we will find satisfaction and thirst for more.