God gets bad press. Many people see God as an angry tyrant ready to zap anyone who gets out of line. Legalism in the church snuffs out joy and stifles pleasure one receives through a close and intimate relationship with God. How can we show everyone, especially the younger generation, how God is relevant to their lives so they can taste and see the Lord is good (Ps. 34:8a)? Ps. 34 explains the prerequisites, benefits, lifestyle and outcome in tasting and seeing the Lord is good.
Prerequisites in Tasting and Seeing the Lord is Good
A humble, broken and contrite heart is underlying prerequisite enabling you to bless and praise God in all life’s circumstances as a result of tasting and seeing the Lord’s goodness (Ps. 34:1-2,18). Allow the fears within and conflicts without to break your heart so you can experience God’s comfort (2 Cor. 7:4-6).
How do you magnify and exalt God? (Ps. 34:3). By seeking Him, looking to Him, crying out to Him, fearing Him and taking refuge in Him in your neediness (Ps. 34:4-7).
Benefits in Tasting and Seeing the Lord is Good
The following are benefits in tasting and seeing the Lord is good:
1. Delivers you from all fear and shame (Ps. 34:4-5)
2. Saves and rescues you from all trouble (Ps. 34:6-7)
3. Satisfies your wants and desires (Ps. 34:9-10)
4. Learn to obey God (Ps. 34:11)
5. Experience joy, pleasure and abundance beyond anything you could imagine (Ps. 34:12; 16:11; John 10:10)
Lifestyle in Tasting and Seeing the Lord is Good
Fearing God leads to the following lifestyle:
1. Guard tongue from evil and falsehood (Ps. 34:13)
2. Depart from evil and do good (Ps. 34:14a)
3. Seek and pursue peace (Ps. 34:14b)
4. Unceasing prayer motivated by troubles (Ps. 34:15-17)
Outcome in Tasting and Seeing the Lord is Good
The following are the outcomes that have direct relationship to the prerequisites in tasting and seeing the Lord is good:
1. Delivers you from all afflictions–fears within (Ps. 34:19-20)
2. Renders justice upon evil people–conflicts without (Ps. 34:21)
3. Redeems and restores you from fears within and conflicts without caused by bad choices or sinful people–comforts the humble (Ps. 34:22)
Like Apostle Paul, God comforts the humble by allowing you to overcome fear within through “much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses” (2 Cor. 6:4). He renders justice in conflicts without through “beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger” (2 Cor. 6:5). God redeems and restores you “in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love” (2 Cor. 6:6).
What are causing the fears within and conflicts without? Ask God to deliver and save you from these fears and conflicts. Choose to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit instead of human self effort.
