Taste That the Lord is Good
Spiritual maturity is, for the follower of Christ, something always to be seeking. I have found that my spiritual growth is directly related to my time in the word of God. As 1 Peter says in chapter 2:
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. v 2-3
What do you long for? The world to go back to normal? Certainty about your future? Your fears of disease to diminish? What news are you waiting for...for it seems as if everyone is waiting on something.
There have been times in my life that I’ve desired to hear a message. As a child, I longed to hear that my parents loved me, approved of me. When I was a teen, I longed to hear that my friends accepted me and that boys I had a crush on my like me. When I became on adult, I longed to hear good news in regards to my endeavors, like I got a job I had applied for, good test results, the house loan went through, etc, news related to my circumstances that brought blessing and prosperity into my life.
You see we long to hear about things we find important or from people whose opinion we value. If this is true, then if I find myself in a state of ambivalence for the word of God, His words spoken to me, the only primary way I can hear from an invisible God, then I have to wonder how important God really is in my life. Longing for scripture is longing to hear from God, our most primary relationship. How can we have a strong connection with one we don’t communicate with. We can speak to God in prayer, and can sense His presence in worship, but need to come to his word to as the primary way we hear Him speak to us.
If you find your desire to approach the Bible expecting a word from God has waned, the verses around our primary verse give an answer to things you can do to increase you love for the Word.
1:23 Remember how you were born, through the living and abiding word of God
The way we entered into a relationship was by the words of God, which are described here as living and active, so doesn’t it make sense that we continue to turn to it to shore up this same relationship?
2:1-Eliminate sin
If we don’t put away our malice, delete, hypocrisy, envy and slander we are still feeding on it somehow. People don’t by Cheetos if they don’t want to each Cheetos. We shop for the food we intent to eat. If we stock up our pantry with vices we will go back to them when we have a craving that the sin nature calls us to indulge in.
2:2 Ask for it
The NLT of this verse says that we are to “cry out” for the word of God, much like a baby does when he or she is hungry. Pray and ask God to create a desire in your for His word when there hasn’t been one before.
2:3. Recall when His Word has fed you
Verse 3 reminds us that we have tasted that the Lord is good, we have in times past had his word internalized and experienced the power of it’s truth as we’ve embraced it.
The Bible is full of inspired writers sharing their experience in life with the word of God and praising it as an extension of praising Him; for those we admire we praise what they say as well as what they do. Why do people love to quote others unless they understand that their words reveal their character and reveal their innermost thoughts? In fact, Jesus is called the Word of God in John 1.
Because I’m working on meditating more on the word of God, I’ve curated a resource for you at the end of this post to meditate on what it means to long for the word of God and love it. You’ll notice many of the verses are from Psalm 119 because the theme of this psalm is exalting God’s word.
May these verses bless you and create a longing to hear from the Mighty One who created you and wants to speak to you personally, through His active, living word!
Job 23:12
I have not departed from the commandment of his lips;
I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.
Psalm 1:1–2
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
Psalm 19:7–11
The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the LORD are true,
and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
Psalm 119:16
I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.
Psalm 119:24
Your testimonies are my delight;
they are my counselors.
Psalm 119:35
Lead me in the path of your commandments,
for I delight in it.
Psalm 119:47–48
for I find my delight in your commandments,
which I love.
I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love,
and I will meditate on your statutes.
Psalm 119:72
The law of your mouth is better to me
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
Psalm 119:92
If your law had not been my delight,
I would have perished in my affliction.
Psalm 119:97
Oh how I love your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
Psalm 119:103
How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Psalm 119:111
Your testimonies are my heritage forever,
for they are the joy of my heart.
Psalm 119:113
I hate the double-minded,
but I love your law.
Psalm 119:127
Therefore I love your commandments
above gold, above fine gold.
Psalm 119:159
Consider how I love your precepts!
Give me life according to your steadfast love.
Psalm 119:167
My soul keeps your testimonies;
I love them exceedingly.
Psalm 119:174
I long for your salvation, O LORD,
and your law is my delight.
Jeremiah 15:16
Your words were found, and I ate them,
and your words became to me a joy
and the delight of my heart,
for I am called by your name,
O LORD, God of hosts.
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