Did you see the goodness of God yesterday? Were you safe on the highway? Did you receive a little expression of kindness unexpectedly? Was there something special to make you smile?
Those are expressions of God’s goodness.
As I was preparing to share with you this morning, I remembered something that my dad would often say. “The only way you can ruin a pie is to cut it. Just give me a fork and let me enjoy the whole thing.” We’d laughed but somehow we always knew if we had given him that fork and the pie he would have finished it all. He loved my mom’s pies.
That’s my lead in to today’s verse on the goodness of God.
“O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good! Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts and takes refuge in Him.” Psalm 34:8 AMPC
Taste and see how good God is.
The goodness of God is tangible. It’s something we can sense, something we can experience and it is good – so good.
“You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. 6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:5-6 NLT
King David said the Lord’s provision was like a feast, and that goodness and mercy (unfailing love) were in hot pursuit of us all the days of our lives.
The goodness of God provided manna from heaven for the Israelites in the wilderness. The goodness of God multiplied the loaves and the fishes from the little boy’s lunch. The goodness of God turned water into wine at the wedding of Canaan.
The goodness of God is tangible.
The goodness of God said to the thief on the cross “today you will be with me in paradise”. God wants us to know, to taste, to experience His goodness.
“How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world. 20 You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them.
You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues.” Psalm 31:19-20 NLT
My prayer is that we all will know more of God’s goodness this year.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!