Theory only gets you so far. Reading about how to play the guitar . . . watching a video on how to swim . . . listening to an instructor run through how to do complex math . . . being taught by a coach how to catch a football . . . all of that only gets you so far. Eventually, if you want to encounter the joy of knowing how to do any of those things, you’ll need to pick up and strum a guitar . . . you’ll need to get in the pool and put your face in the water . . . you’ll need to put pen to paper and start working out equations . . . you’ll need to let someone throw a football at you and try and get your hands around it. Knowing the theory’s good . . . getting in the game is better.

That’s what comes to mind this morning as I read one of my favorite invitations in all of Scripture: “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Ps. 34:8)

There’s a lot of “theory” surrounding the grace of God . . . a lot of theology and doctrine to be worked through. There are a myriad of promises in the Scripture to “claim” and be encouraged by. There are truths to believe . . . there are historical wonders to behold. All good stuff . . . all necessary stuff . . . stuff which is at the core of “being transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:2).

But, as has been phrased by another, if you want to walk on water you’ve got to get out of the boat. Or, as David puts it, if you want to know the Lord is good, taste and see. Oh, David knew the theory . . . “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears open to their cry” (34:15) . . . “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit” (34:18) . . . “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all” (34:19).

David knew the theory . . . but his exhortation to us to “taste and see” was born out of experience. “I sought the LORD and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (34:4) . . . “This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles” (34:6). David knew what it was to have his back up against the wall . . . to be in a tough spot with no apparent way out . . . to be in desperate situations beyond what his natural resources could deal with. He knew the reality of his circumstance . . . he was familiar with the promises of God . . . now it was time to “taste and see.” Time to cry out and seek to encounter the God of heaven . . . and see if the God of heaven wouldn’t encounter him.

And David knew the goodness of God . . . the faithfulness of the Lord . . . the blessing of trusting in Him. He experienced the reality of God’s intervention. Not just of physical deliverance from his situation, but the very presence of God ministering to his soul . . . delivering him from his fears . . . binding up his broken and contrite heart . . . testifying in that deep down place of Spirit-to-spirit communication that God really does know . . . really does care . . . really does intervene in the affairs of His people. David acted on the theory and experienced a “taste” of God . . . David stood on the promises to “see” God’s active involvement in his life. And, when you taste and see, you know the Lord is good.

And it’s not about being delivered from every situation in the timing and in the manner I think is appropriate . . . it’s about knowing the reality of the goodness of God . . . it’s experiencing the presence of God . . . knowing that His mercies are new every morning and His grace is sufficient for the day. And when we know that . . . not just in theory, but through experience . . . then we can proclaim with David, “I will bless the LORD at all time” (34:1a). At all times . . . the good times . . . the not so good times . . . at all times I will bless the LORD . . . for I have tasted . . . for I have seen . . . for I have experienced the reality of drawing near to God, and having Him draw near to me (James 4:8).

Taste and see the Lord is good . . . Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Amen?