Some things have to be tried firsthand to be enjoyed. For example, how do you describe the taste of a good piece of meat to someone who has never had anything more delicious than a low-grade hotdog? What words do you use to portray the breathtaking view from the window of an airplane to someone who has never flown? Or how could you make another person appreciate the sudden strength you felt in a panic situation if he’s positive he would come unglued if he ever faced similar conditions?
In the spiritual realm, it is difficult to communicate the freedom of forgiveness and the joy of walking with God to someone who has never had the experience. All you can do is tell him how to receive it and then pray he’ll take your suggestion and find out for himself.
The wonder of knowing God and the fulfillment of living in fellowship with Him cannot be experienced on a secondhand basis. The Scriptures make this point over and over. For instance, we are told that only the upright can enjoy the secret counsel of the Lord (Proverbs 3:32). And in Psalm 34, David described the benefits of the life of faith and then urged the reader himself to “taste and see that the Lord is good!”
Do you know firsthand the joy of sins forgiven and the strength that comes through reliance on God? If not, taste for yourself that the Lord is good. Accept Jesus as your Savior and begin to walk with Him. – Martin R. De Haan II
Oh, taste and see that God is good
To all that seek His face;
Yea, blest the man that trust in Him,
Confiding in His grade. – Psalter
One taste of the goodness of God and you’ll want to feast on the riches of His grace.
- November 12, 1985, Our Daily Bread
For You 