TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD

BY DEACON NICHOLAS ANG

Singaporeans love to eat, and I believe so does the community in GPC. My late father loved good food, and he made it a point to bring the family around Singapore to enjoy the good food he had discovered, just to taste and see. His cooking brought the family together at the table. For my mother, whenever she had tasted and seen recipes of food, she would cook for us to enjoy, and they often brought the extended family together.  My siblings and I saw how our parents showed their love for the extended family by always putting good food on the table during family gatherings.  Several non-Christian relatives who experienced Christ’s love through my parents’ love and service, had also turned their eyes to Jesus and accepted Christ as their personal Saviour.

Psalm 34 reminded us to “Taste and See” the Lord’s goodness.  The Psalmist had experienced it himself, thus he urged us to do the same.  How can we “taste and see” God’s goodness?  We can (a) bless the Lord at all times and praise Him continually (v1), (b) boast in the Lord and hear Him (v2), (c) magnify the Lord and exalt His name (v3), and (d) seek and look to the Lord (v4).

From this Psalm, we also see how God might respond in His goodness and mercy. As we seek the Lord - He answers us and delivers us from our fears (v4). As we look to Him - He causes us to be radiant and gives us confidence (v5). As we cry to Him for help - He hears and listens (v6). As we fear the Lord - He delivers and we have no lack (v7, 9). As we taste and see, and take refuge - He blesses (v8). As we listen to God - He teaches (v11). As we keep our tongue from evil and speaking deceit, turn away from evil, do good, seek and pursue peace, be righteous - He sees (v13, 14). As we persevere in affliction, in broken-heartedness, in being spiritually crushed - the Lord hears, delivers, draws near, saves, protects and redeems (v15-20). As we take refuge in Him - God will embrace, not condemn (v21-22). Truly, God is our Emmanuel for He is with us!

I have had the privilege to “taste and see” God’s goodness with Faith CG for the past 16 years. The story of Faith CG began with 3 sisters in Christ (Doreen, Rose and Benita) who wanted to seek the Lord and pray together. The CG continues to grow over the years by God’s grace.  We come together to praise God, bless His name, study His word together and journey with one another.  We celebrate our triumphs, strengths and individual’s giftings.   We embrace each other’s differences, come alongside those who are down and look for opportunities to love and uplift each other.  We seek the Lord as one body of Christ. Eph 4:1-2 says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

I am able to truly “taste and see” the goodness of the Lord through my brothers and sisters in Christ because I had committed to journey together with them as a close-knit community.  Today, I continue to attend CG together with my wife Joanna and Liam, our new born.

This year, Sister Rose Tan and Sister Grace Sum continue to lead the CG to fellowship twice a month on Saturdays.  I also thank God for His faithfulness for the 40 CGs in GPC today where close to 400 GPC members could “taste and see” God’s goodness as a community.

Brothers and sisters, have you “tasted and seen” God’s goodness lately? Have you “tasted and seen” God’s love through the GPC community? I pray that each of us could taste and see God’s goodness daily in 2022, and continue to grow stronger as a GPC community! All Glory be to God. Amen!

To know more about CG life, please contact Rev Koh NS or Dn Jason Goh. To learn about the 40 CGs in GPC, you scan the QR code on the right to bring you to GPC’s CG page.