“Taste and see that the Lord is good” Psalm 34:8
My companion, a venerable Buddhist monk, had entered the sanctuary wrapped in flowing saffron robes year after year from his youth as the holy men and sages had done since ancient times. Devotees bowed to him in obeisance. The waft of incense invigorated his senses. He prostrated himself in reverence to the exquisitely crafted, solid-gold statue of his god. He’d wait. He’d wonder. Would even one finger of its thousand hands…touch him?
The first time he attended a Christian service he was standing next to me. There were no candles. No incense. Our raiment? Jeans and polo shirts. Days before the expo hall had been filled with vendors selling the latest tech gadgets. Our fellow “devotees” met us with fist bumps and high fives, not bald, bowed heads. As we raised our voices in adoration and praise, I glanced over at my guest and saw streams of tears flowing down his cheeks. He returned my gaze with the broadest smile imaginable, speaking words I will never forget: there is nothing like this in Buddhism!
My new favorite name for God is found in the little known book of Haggai. He prophesies in v. 2:7 of a Day when God will shake the earth, stating further that people will then flock to Him who is called the Desire of All Nations. This coincides with a revelation that God is going to fill His temple with glory, much as He had done that day my monk friend first encountered the Living God.
Think about it: what people are really seeking after, the cry of their hearts, their most basic, visceral longing, is our God. He alone satisfies. He alone brings hope. All other “princes of peace” are placebos, counterfeits. I don’t know anyone who would turn down a spa followed by a full body massage. What if you could offer them a spa for the spirit, and a massage for the soul? Who wouldn’t want that, right?!
Solomon captures this essence in his allegorical work, the Song of Songs. In 5:16 it says: “He is absolutely desirable. This is my love, and this is my friend”. The description the Shulamite woman gives of her beloved is in fact so compelling that all her companions abandon their own pursuits. The immediately beg her to tell them which direction he has turned aside to, declaring “Let us seek him with you” (6:1).
When John says in Revelation 12:11 that we overcome the enemy of our souls by the word of our testimony, I am confident he did not mean recounting that day we raised our hand at a Billy Graham Crusade 40 years ago. It was the Shulamite’s love story that wooed others to Him. It was David’s own experience which inspired him to invite people everywhere, at all times, to taste and see that God is so indescribably good. It is Peter crying “It is the Lord!” as he catapulted out of his fishing boat and into the sea upon realizing his Beloved, Jesus, was the one calling to him from the shore (Jn 21:7).
The Shulamite’s testimony magnifies the irresistible qualities of the One she has completely fallen for. He is stunningly beautiful, majestic, sweet, a “chief among ten thousand”. She goes on verse after enchanted verse, announcing in 2:5 “I am lovesick”! She is so consumed with thoughts for him that she can’t sleep, so she rises, running to and fro through the city squares and streets to pursue him. No wonder all the daughters of Jerusalem wished they could have Him for their very own.
Apologists convince people God is true. Theologians postulate that He is righteous and able to save. Pastors preach Him as a Guide, or Comforter. A missionary’s message paints Jesus as relevant, better than what they or their forefathers have worshiped. But a Lover’s testimony…well, there is simply no rival. The call is to worship Him not just in truth, but in spirit too; we’re to love God not just with our minds, but with our hearts, our souls, and all of our strength.
Haggai’s buddy Zechariah had a vision of a time when “many peoples and strong nations will come and seek the Lord” (Zec 8:22). He prophesies that men from every language will be grasping ahold of the sleeve of believers and cry out: “We’ve heard that God is with you. We want to go with you!” (Zec 8:23, TPT) Brothers and sisters, this is what the nations want. More than answers, they want a Soulmate. Aside from being rescued, they want to be loved.
By the end of the week my monk friend had left his saffron robe behind. He had tasted and seen, and knew for himself that this God, Jesus, was indeed everything that he had ever yearned for. Though it may cost him prestige, security, or power, he had found the One who for a thousand fairy tale “reincarnated lives” had eluded him. As I lifted him out of the waters of baptism in the sea that day, with childlike glee he skipped over to random people who had gathered to watch the spectacle. I do not know his exact words, but the testimony written upon his joyful countenance was shouting: Taste and see! My God is so, so good. He is absolutely desirable! He is my Love, and He is my Friend.