✝ Daily Encouragement (11/14/22) "Taste And See"
Published: Mon, 11/14/22
A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber.
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Monday, November 14, 2022
Grazing Horses in the Autumn
Season
Photo by Lamar
Dourte
"Taste And
See"
Message summary: Today we join David in his proclamation, "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" ![]() "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him" (Psalm
34:8).
Do you recall a time when someone tried to get you to taste something just once
? Most all of us will remember when we were children our mom would try
to introduce us to something new by saying, "Try this just once" or "just one bite".
But even as adults it still happens. Here in Lancaster County we have some delicacies that are favorites to many locals but not a dish we're accustomed to
from our Midwest background, foods such as scrapple* or pig's stomach. We've sampled scrapple but pig's stomach,... not yet!
In the course of our chaplain work we stopped to greet a group of ladies from Southeast Asia who were on their lunch break. Although we couldn't understand them very well due to the language barrier they always seemed to appreciate our interest in their work in the factory, often responding with nodding heads and warm smiles.
During lunch one of the ladies was eating a rice dish with what looked like a tiny hand in it. I pointed to it and asked what is this "foreign" food
object and learned it was a chicken's foot! While we were talking she picked it up and began to chew on it. I'm sure glad she didn't offer it to me or say, "Taste this chicken foot, just once. It’s really good!" I probably wouldn't do too well on the foreign mission field when it comes to the different cultural approaches to food
groups.
What tremendous blessings our five senses add to our daily living, (taste, sight, smell, touch, and hear). We probably give less attention to taste and may
even tend to take it for granted. But those who experience physical tastelessness testify how they miss it. In addition to taste those who have lost their sense of smell over an extended period of time due to having covid speak of how miserable it is to be unable to have a proper sense of smell, and how it affects their sense of taste as well.
![]() "That the LORD is good"
. I am so thankful that the eternal God is good! As many of us repeated a good phrase in church for a number of
years, "God is good all the time. And all the time God is good!" What comfort and assurance that brings.
C.H. Spurgeon wrote,
"When others behave badly to us, it should only stir us up the more heartily to give thanks unto the Lord, because He is good; and when we ourselves are
conscious that we are far from being good, we should only the more reverently bless Him that He is good. We must never tolerate an instant’s unbelief as to the goodness of the Lord; whatever else may be questioned, this is absolutely certain, that Jehovah is good; His dispensations may vary, but His nature is always the same."
I love the last portion of the verse. "Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him" . "Blessed" is the type of word that's primarily used only in the Bible or in "religious" talk. It fundamentally means "how happy", which doesn't really sound as spiritual, but surely conveys the meaning. Psalm 144:14 states, "Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD". The Hebrew word for "refuge" is "chacah" and is derived from the phrase "to flee for protection". What a glorious truth today! The refuge we have in God has not changed. The great hymn "How Firm A Foundation" states, "What more can He say than to you He hath said, to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled". Today we join David in his proclamation, "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" Be encouraged today, (Hebrews
3:13)
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
![]() Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"Goodness Of God" Video Triumphant Quartet We both enjoy the bass singer in this song.
Brooksyne's Note:
I attended a funeral yesterday afternoon for Kevin Hickernell, of Manheim, the husband of my dear friend, Rose. He battled critical health matters for the last four years of his life with his wife right by his side through it all, though she has
serious health matters herself. Their daughter, Annie, is gifted musically (piano and voice) and Kevin called her weeks before his death and told her he wanted her to sing two songs at his funeral: "Because He Lives" and "The Goodness of God". She was taken back by his request since "death" was not on their agenda in response to his hard fought battle. But, taking her strength from God, she proceeded with both songs and if Kevin was watching from heaven, he surely
rallied his new friends and family members over there to listen. They were beautifully sung and we feature "The Goodness of God", one of my favorites. How good it is that Kevin, sensing his time was near, requested this song - recognizing that in the midst of all his physical pain, the unending distress of his continued health decline including the amputation of his leg, he could think about the goodness of God. Certainly, Kevin tasted and saw that the Lord is good no matter the
earthly struggles he had on this side. May we follow his example.
"Taste and See (Psalm
34)" Video The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
Psalm 34 (Taste and
See) Video Shane & Shane
* Scrapple, also known
by the Pennsylvania Dutch name Pannhaas ("pan tenderloin" in English), is traditionally a mush of pork scraps and trimmings combined with cornmeal and wheat flour, often buckwheat flour, and spices. Article
Leroy and Sarah (Begnabana) Tebie with their daughters, Emmanuella, Hannah and Shiloh. Leroy and Sarah were raised in Togo, West Africa, and their children were born here in the U.S. They attend our church and visited our Sunday School class yesterday sharing their story of salvation and their present journey of becoming missionaries. Leroy was raised in an idol
worshiping family, Sarah was raised by a Muslim father. The couple met in the U.S. and have raised their family here, yet their heart is still with the people of Togo who have not yet surrendered to Christ. They hope to complete the process of becoming missionaries by next year and then will return to Togo to share the salvation message with their own people.
Finally
today:
Through the years I've heard and told many Bible-themed riddles such as "Where is baseball mentioned in the Bible?" (in the beginning, [big inning]). "What motorcycle is mentioned in the Bible?" (David's triumph was heard throughout the land.) "Where is tennis mentioned?" (David played in Saul's court.) and "What car is
mentioned" (They were all in one Accord.)
Last week I was visiting for a few minutes with Brad and heard a new one. Actually I've heard the first part but not the last.
Who is the smallest person in the Bible"?
Zaccheus...a wee little man was he, but no... Nehemiah (knee-high-miah)...small, but no, Job's friend, Bildad, the Shuhite (shoe height)...even smaller, but no... The smallest person in the Bible is the guard who slept on his watch (loosely understood of guards with Peter, Acts 12:6, or guards at the tomb—became like dead men).
(Carefully read this again
if you didn't get it, especially "slept on his watch".)
I (Brooksyne) heard a new one yesterday "What did God give Moses for his headaches?" Two tablets!
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