Matthew 4 Testing or Tasting

At one point during Jesus temptation in the wilderness he quotes Deuteronomy 6:16.

Matthew 4:7 NIV 

Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" 

From everything I can find in the scriptures, testing God is almost always viewed negatively. God tests people. We are to test ourselves. We are, for the most part, not to test God, we are to trust him.

Psalm 34:8 says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good," but tasting is different than testing. Tasting has different motives than testing. Tasting begins from a point of faith. Testing begins from a point of doubt. Tasting experiences the goodness of God. Testing examines the goodness of God to see of it is real. Tasting appropriates what God has promised. Testing presumes upon God to act according to our expectations.

This makes me wonder how much of my prayer life has been about testing instead of tasting. Father, forgive me for the times I have presumed upon you to act according to my expectations, and been upset with your response. I really am no different than the grumbling Israelites following Moses in the wilderness. May I simply taste and see that you are good.

Comments