Taste And See

Tuesday Gathering — 14th December 2021

Psalm 34:7-8

The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
[NKJV]

I have long felt that the angel of The Lord in the Old Testament must represent a conception of The Holy Spirit. Others differ in this view, but ‘angel’ is ‘a messenger’ in whatever form that God reveals, and surely The Holy Spirit is a communicating intermediary between ourselves and the Divinity?

Psalm 34 invites us to ‘taste and see’; to discover for ourselves individually that He is good, and that there is none good but God! I love the notion that the Holy Spirit is encamped all around, but do I fear Him? Do I trust in Him? That is the point at which my rational mind intervenes and gives doubt to my faith.

In Scotland in the 18th and 19th centuries, what is known as ‘The Scottish Enlightenment’ brought a spirit of humanism and rationality into being, which sat uncomfortably beside the Scots strong religious conviction, but many attempts were made to reconcile this new scientific approach with religious belief. I would argue that this pragmatic spirit still prevails in our land and often acts as a roadblock to fear of the Lord and trust in Him. The eminent philosopher David Hume was very much agin religion, and that spirit in Scots generally leaves a legacy of mistrust which does not make ‘trusting in God’ an easy thing. There is an overcoming of the natural mindset which is a struggle and a mighty blessing at one and the same time.

There is the struggle to come to terms with the idea of ‘trusting’ in our Lord, when all of our thinking rejects this belief as unworkable and foolishness; yet there is the overwhelming blessing and unshakeable conviction that permeates every fibre, when rational outlook is overturned and faith is established. That natural scepticism is a useful quality to ensure one is not swept away with the latest religious fad or fashion, but can keep us grounded in the reality of Jesus.

PRAYER: Oh, Lord let Your Holy Spirit displace that rational mind with the deep conviction of the reality of Your presence and power, rejecting doubt and uncertainty, with passion for Your truth and Your life in us. Help us, Heavenly Father, that we might taste and see afresh that You are good and that there is none other who can save us from all the evil that seeks to pull us from You. May You encamp all around us as a heavenly shield, protecting each one from the enemy’s darts.

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‘MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS’

REVELATION 22:16-17 NKJV
I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star."
And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

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“O Taste And See That The Lord Is Good” — Shane & Shane

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A HOLY COMMAND: Oswald Chambers on Love
— Love With All Your Heart --

“ Perfect love casteth out fear,” but to say “therefore will we not fear, though the earth be removed,” is only possible when the love of God is having its way.
[from ‘Run Today’s Race’]

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