Taste & See that The Lord is Good!

I’ve had the joy of reading with Amani* the last 2 years. Her family is from the Congo, she’s the second born of four, and she just finished 6th grade. She’s resilient, a bit of a tomboy, and full of gen-z slang. (Bruhhhh, she cooked). We laugh so much together!

Every week as part of our routine, we memorize scripture. The kids start with a verse in Genesis, then Exodus, Leviticus, etc. and work their way through the entire Bible! Each time they recite the next verse to Ms. Alysa, they get to pick a prize (usually candy).

We recently had bonus Bible verses for a chance to earn an extra large candy prize. Amani looked at me with wide eyes and determination and said: “I’ll do anything for candy.”I died laughing.

She made me think of Psalm 34:8 “Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!”

Most weeks, she nails another memory verse and God’s promise takes a hilariously literal form. Candy!!!!
Amani’s family does not know Jesus. Every week when I pick her up, I see through the doorway a framed photo of a Middle Eastern religious leader hanging on the wall. I haven’t figured out who he is, but it’s clear there is a spiritual battle over her house.

Amani’s sister (who used to be in Reading Circle) recently stopped coming to the program and tried to get Amani to quit also. But Amani keeps coming.

I don’t know for sure why, but part of me wonders if Psalm 34:8 might have something to do with it. “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him.” There is something attractive to her about Reading Circle. While the candy prizes might satisfy a sense of earthly goodness, we get to read and talk about God’s true & eternal goodness too.

Psalm 34
Psalm 34:8 says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!"

The interesting thing is that David wrote those words when he was, by all accounts, a refugee.

This psalm was written by David at the time of 1 Samuel 21. After Saul repeatedly tried to kill him, David fled Israel and crossed into Philistine territory—the land of Israel's enemies. He was separated from home, uncertain of the future, and fearing for his life. And yet... he writes about the goodness of God.

How? Because David wasn't saying his circumstances were good. He was saying God was. That's an important distinction. Psalm 34 wasn't written from comfort. It was written from refuge. David had lost his security, but he hadn't lost his God. When he says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good," he isn't denying the reality of suffering. He's proclaiming that suffering doesn't get the final word. His life was filled with uncertainty, but God's character wasn't.

David had experienced God's faithfulness firsthand. He had seen God provide, protect, guide, and deliver him time and time again. He knew something that his circumstances could not erase: the God of the universe was with him.

And that's the kind of goodness Psalm 34 is talking about.

Not the goodness of an extra-large Snickers bar.
Not the goodness of easy circumstances.
It's the deeper goodness of knowing God Himself.

The word "taste" has always stood out to me. You can't taste something for someone else. You can describe it, recommend it, or invite someone to try it, but eventually they have to experience it themselves.

Maybe that's why Amani's determination to earn candy stuck with me.

She understands something all of us understand at a basic level: once you've tasted something good, you want more of it.

Every Monday night, she comes back for Bible stories, reading, friendship, and yes—sometimes candy. I don't know all the reasons she keeps coming. But I wonder if she's getting small tastes of something deeper than the prizes. A glimpse of God's kindness, love, and the refuge found in Christ.

For many of the refugee families we serve, the word "refuge" isn't just a spiritual metaphor. It's part of their story. They know what it means to leave home and rebuild life in a new place. In that way, they have something in common with David. But if we're honest, so do all of us.

Some of us may never cross an international border, but every one of us is searching for security, belonging, and a sense of home. Scripture reminds us that this world is not our final home. We are all longing for something greater than what this life can provide.

And that's exactly why Psalm 34 is such good news.

David was a refugee who found refuge. Not in a place or in a government. Not in a better set of circumstances. In God.

And the same refuge is available to us today. No matter our circumstances, we really can taste and see that the Lord is good!

My Challenge to You:

A few months ago, it struck me that Amani might never hear the Gospel if it weren't for Reading Circle.

And yet every Monday night, we're reading Bible stories & memorizing Scripture together. We're talking about who God is and what He has done. What a picture of God's goodness!

God is bringing the nations to our neighborhoods. Kids from all over the world are sitting in the community center. Many are hearing about Jesus for the very first time. And He invites ordinary people like us to be part of that story.

If you've tasted and seen that the Lord is good, please share it!

And if your heart has been stirred by Amani's story, would you consider serving with Reading Circle? We need more mentors. You don't need to be a teacher—just someone willing to show up and encourage a student. There are dozens of students like Amani waiting for someone to invest in them!

What if God wants to partner with you to give a student their first taste of His goodness?

Psalm 34:4-8

“4 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.

He freed me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;

no shadow of shame will darken their faces.

6 In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;

he saved me from all my troubles.

7 For the angel of the Lord is a guard;

he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!