Savor God’s Goodness

O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! (Psalm 34:8 NAS)

Many of us have been taught that the human tongue may be divided into various sections when mapped according to areas of taste receptors. The tip of the tongue is the section for tasting sweet, the sides for sour and salty, and the back for bitter. Some studies however suggest that this mapping may be wrong because there is at the least a fifth basic taste.

In a health news archive from The New York Times, it was reported that besides the four basic tastes of sweet, sour, salty and bitter, there is a fifth flavor—savory. Scientists suspect there are receptors for other flavors as well and that receptors for basic tastes are not localized according to sections but spread throughout the tongue. What this means essentially is that receptors for different tastes are not confined to certain parts of the tongue. According to OneLook Dictionary, 'savory' means something “pleasing to the sense of taste” or “morally respectable or inoffensive,” and ‘savor’ refers to “flavor, taste of something” or as “derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in.” Cambridge Dictionary defines ‘savor’ as “to enjoy food or an experience slowly, in order to enjoy it as much as possible.”

We know what it is like to taste and savor the food of our delight, and we know what it is to desire food that whets our appetite. Not everyone however gets to experience such luxury, especially the ones who are in want or poverty. Depending on our ability and circumstances, each of us can derive satisfaction and pleasure from tasting different flavors. Some of us however may get to taste or experience less of the sweet and more of the sour, salty or bitter. More often than not, many of us experience multiple ‘flavors’ of different situations at the same time, and these are seldom confined only to an area in our lives. We may taste and enjoy an aspect of our lives, yet be suffering at the same time in other areas. Like the different flavors we taste using our tongues, our lives often face differing experiences at different time.

The Bible says, “O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him” (Psalm 34:8 NAS)! This is a psalm written by King David while he was pretending to be insane before Abimelech. David was able to praise and glorify the LORD despite his circumstances (Psalm 34:1-4). He was able to do so only because of his complete trust in God, having tasted God's goodness (Psalm 34:8).

As believers of the Lord, we should be like David to have complete trust in God. Regardless our situations, we can count on God to bless us when we take refuge in Him (Psalm 34:8). Whether we are presently experiencing the sweetness of a good life or facing the bitterness, sourness or saltiness amidst a multitude of difficulties, let us stand firm and remain calm in spirit to praise and glorify God. Like the way we savor and taste good food, let us also savor and taste God’s goodness slowly, to enjoy it as much as possible by dwelling our minds on things honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellence and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8). Beyond that, let us also derive and receive pleasure in honoring Christ our King, for this is respectable and inoffensive, pleasing to the sense of taste wherein we find fulfillment and complete satisfaction in our Lord. How blessed are we who take refuge in Him!

Thank You, dear Lord, for always being there for us in good times and in bad times. We are truly grateful to You for allowing us to taste of Your goodness in our lives and for taking care of us when we choose to take refuge in You. Whether in time of sweetness or in times of bitterness, sourness or saltiness, we will praise and glorify You. Dwell our minds Lord on all the good things You have done for us, and help us not forget to trust You even in the worst of situations. Draw us close to You Lord as we take pleasure in pleasing You our Lord and King.