Have You “Tasted” God’s Goodness?

So much of Christian experience today is centered on the knowledge that God loves us and wants to heal our brokenness. As this is part of his intention, it often is short-changed by a lack of true experience.

Jesus worked for three and a half years with his disciples to retrain their understanding about God and his intentions. Even at the end of his earthly ministry, Jesus was often amazed at their lack of comprehension about kingdom principles, let alone developing greater daily trust in the Lord’s heart.

Take, for instance, the feeding of the 5,000 (probably 25,000 with women and children). Jesus provides physical demonstration of God’s ability and intentions to provide natural necessities. The disciples are happy and exhausted and they think the event is over and their bellies are full. On the other hand, Jesus has deeper things in mind. Jesus tries to use the miracles they have experienced to unlock their understanding about kingdom principles. These principles are what we all are meant to learn so that we can live a life governed by our knowledge and understanding rather than just by our emotion. How often have we missed opportunities God was providing because we were caught up in some emotional fire storm? I know I have!  Even though I have the knowledge of kingdom principles in my mind my emotions can get the best of me. These principles I “learned” can go right out the window in my soul.  Let me list the passage where Jesus is a little amazed at the disciple’s lack of comprehension with regards to God being able to supply our basic needs and move us towards a principle based faith rather than just an emotional one.

Matthew 16:5-12    Lacking Understanding

And the disciples came to the other side of the sea, but they had forgotten to bring any bread. And Jesus said to them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 

They began to discuss this among themselves, saying, “He said that because we did not bring any bread.” But Jesus, aware of this, said, “You men of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread? 

“Do you not yet understand or remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets full you picked up? “Or the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets full you picked up?               “How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

So, Jesus thought the disciples would learn from the provision of bread and all they got out of it was a full stomach! I’m sure the Lord gets somewhat discouraged with all of us when we miss a higher understanding about kingdom principles rather than just the nature supply. There is a Psalm which King David penned a special key to gaining understanding of his relationship with God.

Psalms 34:7-8      “Tasting God’s Goodness”

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.

O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

David does not just have a concept of God as being his creator, but also being his provided, sustainer and intimate friend. This passage reveals that David believed God was supernaturally providing angels for his protection even if he could not see them.  This belief was predicated by him “tasting” the goodness of God. David uses this tactile illustration so that the reader would understand that his relationship with God was not just intellectual, but also practical and supernatural.

How many of us settle for just an intellectual relationship with God and never move into intimacy that could and should transform our very nature and outlook on life and living?

Let me share a story that happened early in my life with Christ. I was about three years old in the Lord, and had already seen and experienced some extraordinary miracles. The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart that I should work with a ministry over seas called “Youth With A Mission” or YWAM for short. In order to do so I was going to have to sell my favorite car which was an Olds 442. It was loaded and fast, and it was the love of my life other than God. The Lord was challenging me to sacrifice it to serve him in this ministry. It was hard to let it go, but I had learned that God was able to provide another car later on should I need it. So, I was working in Europe at the end of the summer of 1973 when I felt the Holy Spirit instruct me to return to the US. My ticket was a special ticket that had to be used on a certain day or I had to wait another 10 days to re-book. While getting ready to go to the airport, a friend asked me which airport I had to go to. I told him it was Gatwick and my friend replied, “Are you sure?”  The question concerned me, but I was 80% sure it was Gatwick. The other airport was Heathrow so if I messed it up I would miss my flight and have to stay an extra 10 days and I was out of money.  While riding a bus to the train station a couple in the back of the bus keep smiling at me. It felt kind of creepy, but I just thought they were overly friendly, which was out of character for many of the English people I had met. At the stop just before the train station the couple started getting off the bus and turned towards me and said, “Your Stop Is Next” and got off the bus. I thought to my self, “How Do They Know?” About a mile or two more and I got off the bus at the train station. This same couple walked up to me and tapped me on the shoulder and said, “We came to help you find the right airport. I said I was fine, but they insisted. They asked me if I would like them to call to verify and I said sure. They got on the phone, called someone and turned to me saying you’re heading towards the wrong airport!  I’m nervous and I don’t know what to do. They said no worries, as there is a PAN AM bus two blocks away and I have 10 minutes to make that bus. They directed me down the street, shook my hand and started walking the opposite way. As I started walking towards the bus I realized there is no way they could run 2 miles from their bus stop and get to mine. They weren’t even out of breath. I turned around and they had vanished. There was no one else on the street and it was a block down the street for them to have to run to get out of sight.

I knew right then God had provided angles to help me do the Fathers will and I was excited to experience what other supernatural things were going to happen. That event changed my life and expectation of God being in my life daily. I believe God wants all of us to experience a daily tasting of his goodness. He wants our trust to be based of our whole person, Body, Soul and Spirit.

Questions:

Have you tasted to see that God is good or is your walk only intellectual? Claim this verse and expect change.

Do you believe that angels could help you today? Remember, God loves a heart of faith – it “Pleases Him.”