Taste God’s Goodness – Whitney Hopler

“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” – Psalm 34:8 NIV

Vegetable broth bubbled in multiple pots as the girls in my daughter’s Girl Scout troop cooked a stew together. The stew featured an outlandish variety of vegetables – a fresh version of every item the girls wanted to contribute – potatoes, onions, carrots, zucchini, celery, plum tomatoes, cabbage, squash, mushrooms, red peppers, spinach, green beans, lentil beans, peas, and corn. We seasoned the stew with even more ingredients – chopped garlic cloves, parsley, salt, and pepper. There was such a riot of food in this stew the girls joked the concoction would probably taste like nothing, with all the different flavors covering each other.

Once we tasted the meal, however, the result was just the opposite. Each flavor complemented the others. Every bite of the wonderful stew brought many layers of delight to our taste buds. The girls, who were earning nutrition badges through the activity, tasted how delicious healthy eating can be.

“Wow,” one girl exclaimed, “God is so creative!”

God has created a huge variety and abundance of food for us to grow, prepare, and eat however we like. Thanks to that, we can (and should) enjoy our food. Our taste buds remind us that every eating experience can open the door to wonder in our lives. Psalm 34:8 NIV encourages us to “taste and see that the LORD is good.” When we enjoy our food as a gift from God, we can discover and appreciate God’s goodness more. Ecclesiastes 9:7 NIV exhorts us to,

“Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.”

Psalm 135:25 NIV connects God’s generous provision of food with his love, pointing out: “He gives food to every creature. His love endures forever.” We often acknowledge God’s goodness at mealtimes when we say a grace prayer over our food to express our gratitude for it. But we can taste God’s goodness even more by exploring diverse kinds of food and savoring them all as good gifts from God. Here are a few ways to do so:

• Each time you buy groceries, buy a food you’ve never tasted. Whenever you discover a type of food you like, buy more and share it with your family.
• Eat out at different types of ethnic restaurants. Learn about various cultures around the world by eating their cuisine.
• Cook some new recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner regularly.

The physical nourishment God gives us through food reminds us of his goodness and encourages us to trust him more. Jesus declares in John 6:35 NIV: “… ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’”

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