The Tasteless Christian Life.

It's an old saw in Christian Circles.  "Taste and See that the Lord is Good".  Psalm 34:8

I have heard it applied to all kinds of things the scripture never intended.  Communion (that's a stretch), worship, gifts of the Spirit and the Word of God itself using the concept of eating the scroll as a mark.

Not that any of these interpretations are grossly in error, the simply have nothing to do with the context and keep people from understanding why taste and see is such an important nessesity in the life of a believer.

Some who Call on the Name of the Lord Have Never Tasted nor Seen that HE is GOOD

Read the whole thing in the amplified version of the Bible in it's context and then you tel me what it means:  Psalm 34:6-14

This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
And saved him from all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him [with awe-inspired reverence and worship Him with obedience],
And He rescues [each of] them.

⁸ 
O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good;
How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who takes refuge in Him.
⁹ 
O [reverently] fear the Lord, you His saints (believers, holy ones);
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
The young lions lack [food] and grow hungry,
But they who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing.
Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you to fear the Lord [with awe-inspired reverence and worship Him with obedience].
Who is the man who desires life
And loves many days, that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking deceit.
Turn away from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.

That Psalm Sandwich should help you understand the Taste and See of scripture.  There is no bitterness in the stomach, it is all about finding hope, help and provision from poverty when you taste and see.  There are conditions, IF CLAUSES.  The last four lines speak of them clearly.

Here's the rub however.  Many people who love God are constantly in poverty and lack.  They don't taste the goodness of God.  Why?

They KNOW the Bible, they Believe the Bible... but they don't seem to be able to act like it's true in their life.  The actions they engage in as they live don't like up with what they say they believe.  Look at those last four lines again.   

There is a concept that Paul taught.  Galatians 5:2b If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you.

That if you are circumcised then Jesus is of no benefit to you.  He doesn't mean in the flesh, it means that on which we rely.  When we rely on anything other than Jesus we become like those who relied on circumcision.. and there is nothing gained from Christ.  They don't taste and see.. they rely on other things.

When we lose our focus, we lose our balance.  Like Peter coming to Jesus on the water.. when he saw the waves.. he sank.  Lost his taste.

Here are some signs that you have not yet tasted and seen that the Lord is Good..

Any time you begin feeling sorry for yourself, you can bet that is from the Pit of Hell.  Tasteless

Any time you are feeling mistreated you can bet that the devil is working on you.  

When Selfishness begins to manifest (What about ME?) you can count on it.. you have lost your spiritual taste buds.

When any feeling of IF sets in, If I only had this or that, if I were only like him or her, if I hadn't been born (fill in the blank) then I could make it.

Hebrews 5:6-7 Amplified

⁵ Let your character [your moral essence, your inner nature] be free from the love of money [shun greed—be financially ethical], being content with what you have; for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!” ⁶ So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently say,

“The Lord is my Helper [in time of need], I will not be afraid.
What will man do to me?”

In light of all this how shall we live.  How shall we taste the Goodness of God in this life. Let's learn to rest in him and truly Taste and See.   Then his mercy and grace that never leaves us will cause us to keep from the devil's schemes that keep us impoverished.  

Taste and See.. the LORD IS GOOD!!