TASTE AND SEE
Bless the Lord! I’ll praise my God forever.
Magnify His holy name with me.
Prove with me His love which falters never,
Free for all who come and taste and see.
Refrain
Taste and see the goodness of the Savior
He has been a safe retreat for me.
Come by faith and know His gracious favor.
Satisfy your soul—O taste and see!
Seek the Lord, His ear will be inclining
To the poor and humble in their need.
Look to Him and feel your faces shining—
Radiant are the ones who taste and see.
Fear the Lord, your trust in Him bestowing.
Make His name your boast and only plea.
He will fill your cup to overflowing,
You must only come and taste and see.
REFLECTION
I wrote this setting of Psalm 34 in thankful response to God's many blessings and as an invitation for others to come and know them through Jesus Christ. The blessings I had in mind at the time was a growing family. I worked on the text as I sung my newborn to sleep. The refrain also was a fitting prayer and plea for my daughter to come know the goodness of God for herself. The text lay dormant for two years. Finally, a compelling tune with a soaring melody for the refrain came from Paul Jones. Providentially, only weeks after completion, it was announced that the 2022 Thank Offering theme for the Orthodox Presbyterian Church would be Psalm 34:8, this hymn's refrain. In a sense, the hymn took on the same meaning in a new context: I pray it might be sung to praise God for the blessings of growing the family of the church, and as a plea for others to come and experience His goodness for themselves.
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