Taste and See

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 34:7&8

I take comfort in the fact that Jesus encamps around me. In the Old Testament, the authors often spoke of the "Angel of the Lord." Sometimes, it was simply angels they were referring to. But other times, they were clearly referencing Jesus. Since they didn't yet know the Son of God, they called him the angel of the Lord. He makes his home around me. Why? Because I fear God.
    The fear of the Lord is key to us. We must learn to fear him. Fearing God involves respecting him as the sovereign God. He has ultimate authority. No one and nothing can stand against him. He can do anything. We fear him as a child fears their father. The child knows that stepping out of line through disobedience leads to repercussions. These usually involve discipline. Yet for those who fear the Lord, there are many great promises. One of them is referenced above: He delivers us. No matter what we are going through, God will always deliver us. It may not look like what we think it should, but he will do it.
    It remains for us to simply "Taste and see that the Lord is good." I wonder if we understand what this means. We are to launch ourselves headlong into the will of God and see what happens. How do you know that he is good if you have never allowed yourself to really experience him?
    This is the message for today: Don't just 'play' with God, really experience him. If you are one who lukewarmly likes 'the God thing,' move fully into his will for your life. God is not satisfied with a 'like' relationship. He desires a 'love' relationship. Pour yourself into your relationship with God and see what happens. He will change you completely and shower you with his overwhelming love.