Taste Test

I like to try new foods. When I travel to another country, I'm always interested in sampling the local fare. If I have a chance to eat something that other people eat and like, I want to take that opportunity. I'm a natural-born taste tester.

I know other people who are exactly the opposite. One friend traveled to another country on his honeymoon and ate every meal at McDonald's. Another always wants to know the ingredients of a dish before he takes a bite, trying to judge beforehand if he wants to risk experiencing the unknown. The worst case I've known was a woman who lived overseas and told me, "I don't invite the locals to eat at my house, because then they'd invite me, and I might have to eat something I don't like." Needless to say, her stay in that country was short and unhappy.

While I hope you're the kind of person who is adventuresome in their eating, I really hope that you are the kind of person who keeps an open mind regarding God and what he can do for you. In the book of Psalms in the Bible, we can read, “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalms 34:8). That's a taste test that I know you should do. Don't rely on what other people tell you about God. Don't even rely on what I tell you about God. Lay aside preconceived notions and taste God. Try his plan for you. God can give you meaning in your life, provide you hope in the midst of despair, and show you a lifestyle that you can be proud of. But you've got to taste him. You've got to give God's way a try. Only then can you know if God is good or not.

Not everyone knows how to savor God, how to experience his presence in their life. If you don't know where to begin, I'd like to help. Write to me at tim@hopeforlife.org or leave a comment on our blog at www.hopeforlife.org. Don't be one of those who rejects what they haven't even tasted. “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” You won't regret giving his way a try.