Taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8, NIV).
Can we taste God?
Psalm 34:8 says that we can taste and see that the Lord is good, but is this figurative imagery? Or does the verse depict a way we can know and enjoy God?
Let’s consider tasting pizza.
On YouTube®, I watch “One Bite Pizza Reviews.” David Portnoy travels the country, often by private jet, to review pizza. The videos show him coming out of a pizza place, offering some commentary, sometimes jesting with onlookers, and then saying, “One bite, everyone knows the rules.”
I’ve watched many reviews, and I still don’t know the rules, but I’ve read that Portnoy is the most important figure in the pizza scene in America. If a pizza place gets a high review, the resultant sales erupt like a volcano spewing tomato sauce.
Yes, we can taste pizza, but can we taste God?
Let’s consider an actual pizza review by David Portnoy. Below is a portion of a “Pizza Review” script from a video watched by 3.5 million people.
- Portnoy: “Alright, we’re at Santillo’s Brick Oven Pizza…in Elizabeth, New Jersey.”
- Portnoy: “This place is a hole in the wall.”
- Onlooker: “You’re doing a great job.”
- Portnoy to Onlooker: “I appreciate it.”
- Portnoy: “Uh, one bite, everyone knows the rules…one bite, Frankie (his cameraman). I’m expecting big things.”
- Portnoy: “Looks pretty good…good crisp…wow…cooked perfectly…yeah, I got it…I’m going 8.3…that’s the review.”
For those unfamiliar with “One Bite Pizza Review,” an 8.3 is a great score.
Now let’s consider the “Tasting God” review from Psalm 34…
- Psalm 34:4: “I sought the Lord, and He answered me.”
- Psalm 34:5: “Those who look to Him are radiant.”
- Psalm 34:6: “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him.
- Psalm 34:8: “Those who fear Him lack nothing.”
- Psalm 34:15: “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears attentive to their cry.”
Our physical taste buds are different than our spiritual senses.
The physical can taste pizza, but the spiritual can taste God. God gave us the ability to enjoy our lives. Unfortunately, our flesh often overrules our spirit, and we eat too much pizza—or alcohol, greed, pride, or sensuality.
We know the rules, but we don’t follow them. I give David Portnoy’s “One Bite Pizza Review an 8.1, but I give Psalm 34 a 10! We can taste and know the Lord is good.
Let’s see, this Interruption—a 7.2!