If Christians appear hopeless when they offer the hope of Christ to others, we might need to rethink our perspectives. We should be so believable when we tell others what we believe.
What does it mean to “taste and see that the LORD is good?” It is a call to experience a relationship with God, but it is hard to express the need to do it if you don’t believe me. I can say that you need to taste and see, but have I?
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Psalm 34:8-10
How happy is the person who takes refuge in him!
9 You who are his holy ones, fear the Lord,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 Young lions lack food and go hungry,
but those who seek the Lord
will not lack any good thing.
Encouraging someone to feast in a way we are not personally experiencing is unfeasible. To feed others, you must stay nourished yourself.
I cannot sell a bill of spirituality that I have not purchased on my own account.
When Dwight Moody founded a Bible college in 1886, he deeply desired to create an environment to train enriched ministers. He was concerned about the lack of spiritual health of those around him in ministry. He once stated, “The greatest problem among ministers in my generation is they are trafficking unlived truth.”
Are you trafficking unlived truth? Are you telling friends they should prioritize Jesus while He remains practically in your second position?
You cannot encourage others to “taste and see that the LORD is good” (Ps. 34:8) if crumbs haven’t fallen into your lap.
Your satisfaction should be undeniable when you entice others to such a feast.Â
This particular course that God invites us to partake in is the privilege of trusting Him with our most profound issues. Our happiness should be observable when we take refuge in Him (Ps. 34:8).
In the Christian faith, we often downplay the role of happiness due to the trivial manner in which circumstances affect our emotions. Yet, in this verse, God says that people who trust Him are unapologetically happy. It doesn’t mean that you never have a bad day. It does mean that you realize that a bad day with God is better than a good day without Him.
God brings the needed presence and perspective to our lives. We can trust in Him, for we lack nothing necessary (Ps. 34:9-10). When we trust Him for our needs, He meets those needs and brings joy to our lives that we should readily commend to others.
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.
