Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him

Psalms 34:8

To some people, God may oftentimes seem distant and foreign. But anyone who knows what a true relationship in Jesus Christ is will know that the God we worship is one who is near and can be experienced.

Many times we view our walk with God to be plainly intellectual or knowledge-based as we learn about a man who once walked on this earth.

But Jesus is not just a man who once existed. He is a God, risen and resurrected and who is alive today. By knowing that we can build a relationship with this relational God and experience Him through the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, we will be able to realise that we can taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

We cannot taste and see if we are far

Many times we treat God like a celebrity or politician who lives in a palace or kingdom that is far from reach. As Mark 1:15 declares, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."

Christianity is not about looking to the stars for a celestial being who is light years away.

Through Jesus Christ, we have been drawn into the presence of the Father and we experience His full might and splendour as we come to Him in worship everyday. We can hear, speak to, commune with, feel and love this God of the universe.

We cannot taste and see if we don't pursue

As Matthew 6:33 calls us to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness," this is not a call simply to obey a religious duty but to pursue the majesty of a God whom we can draw near to. Many things in this world will try to pull us apart from the presence of God: Sin, hurt, bitterness, self-dependence and pride.

But the fight and struggle to draw near to God is a real one and one we are called to persevere through and win because as we draw near, Jesus will show that He is near. Philippians 3:14 says, "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

We cannot taste and see if we do not believe

Above all else, our greatest call is to believe in Jesus Christ, the one whom God has sent to become the salvation of all mankind and make Him Lord over all areas of our lives. We surrender to Jesus not out of compulsion, but out of an understanding that He is by our side and shares in our struggles, battles, pain and circumstances.

Jesus is not a force that is without feeling. He is a God who once became man so that He would draw near to us and experience what we have experience. Jesus is here and He is calling us to believe that He is near.