Devotion for Monday, May 18, 2020
Psalm 34:8, “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good.”
Today and tomorrow we will meditate on the idea of God’s Word as a sustaining power in our lives. As a matter of fact, the Bible in many places equates devotion to God and His Word as food.
We get a glimpse of that in Psalm 34, the famous passage that declares, “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good.” This verse does beg the question, “How do you taste Jehovah?”
Let us think on this analogy. Remember back in the old days (I mean three months ago), when you could go to an ice cream shop in person. Often, you would read the menu or look at the flavors. How did you know if the flavor of ice cream was going to be good and enjoyable? You taste tested it! The parlor would have small spoons for you to try out the flavors. You read the menu and tested which flavor was the best for your tastes.
The Bible is a unified narrative about how Jehovah God, the creator of heaven and earth, has put forth a plan to save humanity from our sins. Placed in line with this overarching narrative are principles, ideals, lifestyles, and spiritual characteristics that outline what a God-pleasing disciple looks like. The Bible presents a worldview for us to accept as the truth for our lives. King David invites us to read God’s Word and try it out for ourselves. When we do, we will see that the LORD truly is good, and that we are blessed when we place our trust in Him.
The Old Testament prophets further pointed to this concept that God’s Word provides sustaining power for the faithful one, much like food sustains any human being. As a matter of fact, the prophets mention the idea of eating the Word of God. Jeremiah 15:16 says, “Your words were found, and I ATE them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by your name, O LORD of Hosts.”
In the context of Ezekiel’s call, the LORD instructs the prophet to, “eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel. So, I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll. And He said to me, ‘Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.’ So I ate, and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness.” (Ez. 3:1-3)
This scroll was to provide the sustaining power and wisdom that Ezekiel needed to prophesy in the name of the Lord to a people who were suffering the exile from Judah. Jeremiah found joy and rejoicing in the Word of God when he tasted it!
What is fascinating is that John the Apostle is instructed by an angel to repeat Ezekiel’s eating of the scroll in Revelation 10:9-10. In John’s instance the scroll was sweet to the taste, but bitter in the stomach? Why? Because the scroll carried with it the prophesy of final judgment on sinful humanity.
Why the connection between food and the Word? We are called by God to INGEST His Word. We are not just to read the Word of God. We are to fully allow it to penetrate the very marrow of our bones – to fill us up.
As refreshing ice cold water is as it flows down into your stomach on a hot, humid day, so is the Word of God to flow into you – to refresh you, energize you, and TRANSFORM you into the image of Christ Himself.
Tomorrow we will look at this concept as laid out in the New Testament. In the meantime, “Taste and see” in God’s Word that He who created you, and sent His son to rescue – He is GOOD!