By Not Known
A few weeks ago, I watched a rerun of one of the most expensive foods in the world – truffles. Last year, the winner of the truffle auction paid a whopping 75,000 euros for an 850 grams of well-rounded truffle. Reports claimed that few shavings of this fungus can transform any dish. The allure of truffles is so intense that every winter, about 100,000 visitors visits the famous International Alba White Truffle Fair in order to buy, smell, sell and eat this extravagant delicacy. When asked to describe what truffle taste like, one visitor said “words cannot describe the taste but once you’ve eaten it you will want to eat it again.”
Just like those truffles lovers who are hooked to its delicious taste, King David also tasted something wonderful that he could not forget. In Psalm 34:4, he said “O, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”
One might have thought that David was enjoying the goodness of the Lord when he wrote this psalm but the foreword of this psalm note – “Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he left.” To fully understand the background of this psalm, let us look at 1 Samuel 16, where David was anointed as the next king of Israel. The following chapter narrated David killing Goliath with a sling and five stones. When he returned home, the women praise him singing “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands” (cf. chpt. 18). When David’s popularity became a threat to Saul and his kingdom, he plotted to kill David (chpt. 19-20). Fearing for his life, David went to hide in Gath, Goliath’s home town. When his enemies recognized him and he was brought to the king, David pretended to be insane in order to save his life (chpt. 21).
Reflecting on his crisis, David wrote Psalm 34 and he started by praising God, “I will bless the Lord,” “I will glory in the Lord.” Then David went on to testify about the goodness of the Lord. “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them” (cf. vv. 4-7).
Like David, we have also experienced God’s abounding goodness in our life, so let us remember to always praise Him. Like David, when we encounter problems, our first reaction should be to seek God. Even if you are facing a difficult situation and no one seems to be able to help you, seek the Lord. Hold on to His promise. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Finally, to enjoy the goodness of the Lord, the psalmist reminds us to “fear the Lord for those who fear Him lack nothing” (v 9). Max Lucado, pastor and author, said, it is not in our DNA to fear the Lord but we can learn how to fear the Lord. In verses 13-14, David wrote that those who fear the Lord practice these truths- “keep our tongue from evil and our lips from telling lies, turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”
We who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ have tasted the goodness of the Lord and it is more precious than truffles. Therefore, a “few of shavings” of our transformed lives may change our world.