"Taste and see that the LORD [God] is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him" - "Gustad, y ved que es bueno Jehová: Dichoso el hombre que confiará en él'" (Psalm 34:8, NIV).

A fellow shared how, in much younger days, he walked more than a hundred miles to see Niagara Falls. When he was about seven miles from the Falls, he heard what he thought might be the thunder of the crashing waters. When he askeda man working on his house if this was the falls he could hear, the man said, "It could be, but I don't know because I've never been there!"

Amazing! So near yet so far!

I grew up in Queensland, Australia, the state where the Great Barrier Reef is. It is one of the wonders of the world and I'd never seen it until a few years ago! When I lived there, I took it for granted and never bothered to see it for myself. Now I live in Southern California and am amazed at how many locals have never visited Yosemite or the Grand Canyon. Jokingly I tell them that they have sinned--by not going and experiencing these breath-taking marvels of God's creation.

Even more amazing is the fact that so many more have never bothered to taste of the goodness of the LORD [God], or have ever taken the time or interest to marvel at his greatness, to experience his divine love, or to consider his great gift of salvation with his pardon for all their sins, and the gift of eternal life which is there for the taking. They are so very near and yet so very far. And as God's Word says, "How shall we escape if we ignore [neglect] such a great salvation?" (Hebrews 2:3).

Still even more ...

How amazing it is
that God
should ever choose
to love me, a sinner.
But even more amazing,
and far beyond my
comprehension,
is the fact that
the Great Creator
and LORD
of all this vast wide
universe, wants
you and me
to love him too!