“Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.”
Think back to the last moment you took a bite of something incredibly delicious. My favorite would be a sweet, juicy strawberry dipped in just a tiny bit of sugar. The experience of tasting something worth savoring is only a hint at what it is like to sit in the presence of God. I have experienced this deep sense of peace, joy and safety just being with God. When you taste him just a little, you crave more and more of his goodness to fill you.
The next verse tells us that “those who fear him will have all they need.” So of course we have to ask, “What does it mean to fear God?” This isn’t the afraid kind of fear where you are in danger — David just established that God is a safe refuge. True fear of the Lord is perhaps the total awareness of what it would be like if God ever left your side. All of that goodness and safety just gone in an instant. That kind of fear makes you do everything possible to stay near him. We have a final image of young lions staying close to their parents in order to be provided for. These little cubs go hungry when the catch is sparse, but with God we will never experience this lack.
Here’s your freedom for today: God has plenty and he likes to share. Right now God has all the resources to care for your needs. He may not give you everything you want (my kids want candy for breakfast and I say no…). But stay close in his presence and you will get eternal provision of faith, hope and love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 reminds us that God doesn’t give gifts that will wear out. He has it all for you right now and he’s handing it out for free. Go ahead, take a taste of God today — drink in his goodness for just one moment of freedom.