Catching a Glimpse
There is nothing like preparing, serving, and eating a delicious meal at home. It is a simple, yet profound, pleasure of mine.
Steak is a particular delicacy of choice in the Grenfell house. Each time I cook it, there is an important final step: once the meat has rested, I cut off a small piece for all to sample, hoping to find a juicy, pink center. If my execution has hit the mark, that first bite will be a glorious one.
However, that is merely a small taste - a glimpse. It could be the tastiest steak I’ve ever bitten into, but it is not the whole meal. There are side dishes, beverages, a neatly set table, and of course, the fellowship of the people with whom I am enjoying the feast. That first bite stirs up excitement for what is to come.
In a similar way, believers are invited to experience - to taste - the riches of trusting in the Lord. Psalm 34:8 says,
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”
In Psalm 34, David is singing praise over an odd deliverance from the hand of King Achish (see 1 Samuel 21:10-15). David sought the Lord’s help in distress and was rescued (verse 4). When David put his trust in the Lord, he tasted His goodness.
Furthermore, verse 10 says that “those who seek the Lord lack no good thing”. Jesus speaks on this in Matthew 6:26, when He compares how the Father feeds the birds of the air, and how much more He must care for His people. The message is the same: fear not, trust in the Lord.
But what about when the Lord doesn’t answer a particular call for deliverance? What about when He allows His most faithful followers to go through moments, seasons, even lifetimes, of hardship despite repeated petitioning?
Admittedly, this is a difficult subject for me to write about, having lost two family members - both far too soon - in the past year. But it was even more difficult to avoid as I mulled over this passage.
Verse 19 sheds some light on this. It says,
“The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.”
We are warned that trials in this life are inevitable. And while we may or may not experience miraculous deliverance from earthly troubles, there is a far greater deliverance we are promised. The psalm closes by telling us what that is:
“The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.” (verse 22)
The greatest joy available to you is knowing that all of your trouble and suffering is temporary. That there is an all-powerful God who loved you enough to sacrifice His life so that your sin would evaporate and you may enjoy eternal riches in Heaven.
That is the deliverance we have yet to fully experience. We have only caught a small taste; a small glimpse.
When you see a movement of God in your life, or in the life of someone else, you’ve caught a small taste of His might.
When you are awestruck by a sunset, a novel, or a song, you’ve caught a small taste of His beauty.
When your heart is overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from a church community following great tragedy within the body, you’ve caught a small taste of His love.
There will come a day when anguish and tears are a distant memory as we enjoy the heavenly feast at the table of the Lord. Until then, we cling to hope, knowing the small glimpse we have seen is a glory we will eventually come face to face with.
Jesus says in John 16:33,
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
~Jared Grenfell and his wife Grace have have been active members of the LIFE Fellowship community for several years and lead a young adult LIFE Community. Jared has served in various roles on the LIFE Worship team including Music Director.