There are some things in life that have to be tried first in order to be enjoyed. Certainly, this is true of some wonderful dining experiences or the experience of flying in an airplane into a breathtaking sunset or sunrise. I would also say it’s true about whitewater rafting, where you have to experience the thrill of riding the rapids to fully appreciate it (spoken from someone who’s gone overboard three times). This is amazingly true about our relationship with the God of the universe through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The psalmist writes, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Ps. 34:8 NIV). This was the theme verse for our “Taste of the World” event a number of years ago.
For those of you who are not familiar with this outreach event, our “Taste of the World” event truly had been a unique outreach feature of NDC. We had sponsored this ministry for seven years and it was an event where the people from our church family brought the cuisine of their culture and ethnicity. Because our congregation is multiracial with people from many different nations and backgrounds, we would usually have between 12 to 15 food tables with cuisine from all these different countries where the people of our church family grew up. We then also had a tent ministry with music and preaching the Word, usually, with face painting, pony rides, and the fun bus and we invited the whole community to be a part of this special day. This event had never been a fundraiser, but rather a friend-raiser. We gave everything away for free, just like the gift of salvation is free to anyone who will receive it. This event has been sorely missed the last two summers because of the complications of serving food to a large number of people in this covid environment. Lord willing, next year in 2022 instead of hosting a “Taste of the World” event we will be sponsoring a big celebration for the 90th birthday of NDC’s ministry.
In the spiritual realm, it is certainly difficult to communicate the freedom of forgiveness and the joy of fellowshipping with the Lord Jesus Christ to someone who has never experienced it. The wonder of knowing God through His Son and the fulfillment of living in fellowship with Him cannot be experienced on a secondhand basis, scripture makes this point over and over again. You must taste and see for yourself that the Lord is good, beyond anything that you can even imagine. Those of us who have tasted and seen the goodness of our God know that He is really, really good and that He’s provided remarkable salvation for us through the Lord Jesus Christ. Earlier in this Psalm David wrote, “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together,” (PS.34:3 NIV). This is one of the greatest invitations from the Psalms for all people to join together in praise and adoration. One day every nation and every tribe will gather to declare the splendor and majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ. But for now, let those of us that have tasted and seen the Lord is good to invite people to share the same experience we have had. I believe that is very much what our living God and Savior would have us to do, invite with me people to join with us in His praise and adoration because only a firsthand experience can celebrate and rejoice in the great salvation Jesus has provided. “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so”.
All for God’s glory,
Pastor Rich Sivo