“From the Heart” teaching by Drs. Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Psalms 34:8 NKJV

Taste and see that the Lord is good! To taste means to “perceive” or “understand”. The Lord wants us to know and understand that He is good. Not bad, but good! Psalms 100:5 AMP says, “For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting, His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations.” And Psalms 145:9 NKJV says. “The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.” The Lord is good—always good—He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 NKJV says that, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Not only is He good, but He is faithful! He is faithful to His word and faithful to His promises. If we trust in Him, we will always be blessed – and happy – because He will never let us down!

1. We are blessed if we trust in the Lord.
• Psalms 84:11-12 AMP – For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows [present] grace and favor and [future] glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. 12 O Lord of hosts, blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts in You [leaning and believing on You, committing all and confidently looking to You, and that without fear or misgiving]!
• Psalms 91:14-16 AMP – Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness — trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never]. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.
• Proverbs 16:20 AMP – He who deals wisely and heeds [God’s] word and counsel shall find good, and whoever leans on, trusts in, and is confident in the Lord — happy, blessed, and fortunate is he.

2. If you trust your own mind and skills, you are nothing more than a self-confident fool and you will fail. Trust in the Lord – not in your own understanding.
• Proverbs 28:26 AMP – He who leans on, trusts in, and is confident of his own mind and heart is a [self-confident] fool, but he who walks in skillful and godly Wisdom shall be delivered.
• Proverbs 3:5-8 NKJV – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.

3. Don’t be afraid of people – their opinions or what they can do to you. No good will come of that. Do not put your confidence in what man can do – yourself or others. Put your confidence in the Lord and you will be safe.
• Proverbs 29:25 AMP – The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever leans on, trusts in, and puts his confidence in the Lord is safe and set on high.
• Jeremiah 17:5-7 AMP – Thus says the Lord: Cursed [with great evil] is the strong man who trusts in and relies on frail man, making weak [human] flesh his arm, and whose mind and heart turn aside from the Lord. 6 For he shall be like a shrub or a person naked and destitute in the desert; and he shall not see any good come, but shall dwell in the parched places in the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. 7 [Most] blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is.

4. Don’t trust in what you have – in your money or stuff – because you will fail. If you trust in the Lord you will always be fruitful and prosperous.
• Proverbs 11:28 AMP – He who leans on, trusts in, and is confident in his riches shall fall, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like a green bough.

5. If you call yourself a believer, if you say that you believe in Jesus, then you are also saying that you have faith in Him – that you have attached yourself to Him and you completely trust and rely on Him. You are saying that you have entrusted your well-being to Christ – spirit, soul and body!
• John 3:15-16 AMP – In order that everyone who believes in Him [who cleaves to Him, trusts Him, and relies on Him] may not perish, but have eternal life and [actually] live forever! 16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

6. The wicked will have much sorrow, but if you confidently trust in and lean on the Lord you will be surrounded by mercy and loving-kindness. When you focus on God’s promises rather than your problems, your mind will always be perfectly at peace – even in the middle of the storms of life!
• Psalms 32:10 AMP – Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but he who trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on the Lord shall be compassed about with mercy and with loving-kindness.
• Isaiah 26:3 NKJV – You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.
• Isaiah 26:3-4 ERV – Lord, you give true peace to people who depend on you, to those who trust in you. 4 So trust the Lord always, because in the Lord Yah you have a place of safety forever.

Trust the Lord! He will never, ever abandon you or let you down!