Go Back & Get It!

It was during the 1990s that many of us were introduced to the Sankofa symbol, originating from the Akan people of Ghana. Its rise in visibility followed the 1991 discovery of the African Burial Ground in New York and was further amplified by the 1993 release of the film Sankofa, which confronted the painful realities of the Atlantic Slave Trade. I remember the jewelry shaped like a bird with its head turned backward. At the time, I simply thought it was beautiful. I did realize then that it carried a message my soul would need one day.

In Twi, Sankofa means, “go back and get it.” It teaches that in order to move forward, we must be willing to reach back and retrieve what has been left behind. While we know Sankofa as African philosophy, its truth is deeply biblical. “San” means to go back, and “kofa” means to get it. That sounds a lot like the call of Scripture—to remember, to return, and to reclaim. I believe now, more than ever, it is time for us to embrace the wisdom of Sankofa—not as a cultural symbol alone, but as a spiritual practice. There are things in our past that we cannot afford to leave behind.

Sankofa calls us to reach back, retrieve, remember, and reclaim. Our past holds treasures—our mothers’ prayers whispered late at night, our grandmothers’ unwavering faith, and the quiet endurance of women who trusted God when they had no visible evidence, only His Word. These are not things to admire from a distance. These are things we must pick up again. Not as nostalgia, but as nourishment. Not as memory, but as mandate. Because the same God who sustained them is the same God who sustains us.

He has promised in Hebrews 13:5 that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He has been—and continues to be—better than good. And He is not inviting us into a distant relationship based on routine or religion. He is inviting us into something deeper: a personal, experiential knowledge of His goodness. In Psalm 34:8 the psalmist declared, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.”

This is not a suggestion. It is an invitation. An invitation not just to hear about God. Not just to read about God. Not just to believe in God. But to experience Him. The Hebrew word for “taste” is ta’am, meaning to perceive and personally experience. The Hebrew word for “see” is ra’ah, meaning to observe deeply and understand. God is saying, “Don’t just stand at a distance and analyze Me; come closer and encounter Me.”

This kind of relationship requires more than occasional attention. It requires an active, intimate, ongoing connection. We taste God through prayer. We see God through His movement in our lives. We experience Him through His Word. And when we begin to live with that awareness, we start to recognize Him everywhere. In the breath in our lungs. In the peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7). In doors that open just in time. In strength that shows up when we thought we had nothing left.

And here is what we discover when we truly taste and see: God is good. Not sometimes. Not only when life is easy. Not just when everything works out the way we planned. But always. The Word reminds us in Psalm 107:1, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.” In Psalm 145:9 we read, “The Lord is good to all.” And in Nahum 1:7, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble.” When life is hard; He is good. When the answer is delayed; He is good. When the path is unclear; He is still good. Romans 8:28 assures us that He is working all things together for the good.

There is also a promise attached to this invitation: “Blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.” Blessed means more than happy. It speaks of deep contentment, spiritual prosperity, and abiding peace. But notice, the blessing is not for those who run everywhere. It is for those who run to Him. Not to their own understanding. Not to anxiety. Not to control. But to God. To take refuge in Him means He becomes your safe place; your covering, your shelter, your source of comfort, your source of guidance, and protection.

So today, I extend this invitation: Taste and See. Taste Him in your prayer life—not rushed, but relational. See Him in your everyday life, not just in the miraculous, but in the mundane. Wake up expecting Him to move. Walk through your day seeking Him. Go to sleep thanking Him. Because when you live like this, you will begin to see Him everywhere. And that is what Sankofa calls us to do—to go back and get what we need in order to move forward.

Reach back. Return to your first experienced God. Revisit the places, practices, and postures where He first became real to you. As Revelation 2:5 reminds us, “Remember… and do the works you did at first.” Retrieve what God has already placed inside of you; the truths, the lessons, the faith that life may have caused you to lay down. Pick it back up. Remember His goodness intentionally. As Psalm 103:2 says, “Forget not all His benefits.” Memory fuels faith. Reclaim your expectation of God’s goodness. Reject the lie that He is good for others but not to you. Choose to believe again. Choose to trust again.

Taste, by engaging Him personally. See, by training your eyes to recognize Him. Run to Him; make Him your first response, not your last resort.The Word says in James 4:8, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” So pray before you react, pray. Pause before you panic. Whisper, “God, I trust You right here.” Because to truly taste and see His goodness, we must move from hearing to experiencing; from knowing about God to walking with God.

Sisters, I invite you to go back and get everything God promised you. Retrieve what He has already given you. Remember all that He has done. Reclaim what life tried to take. And when you do, you will not just say that God is good, you will know it for yourself. And when you know it, you will discover this truth: you will lack no good thing. Because when you truly taste and see you will never be satisfied with anything less than your relationship Him.

Join me Under The Church Hat for this month’s devotion:<|

In less than 250 words, describe your first experience with God in a real and personal way and how can you return to that place spiritually.

List five things have you laid down (faith, discipline, hope) that God is calling you to retrieve.

Describe what it look like for you to “taste and see” God daily in practical ways, in less than 250 words.

What spiritual practices (prayer, worship, quiet time) do you need to re-establish consistently? Make a plan to do so.

Choose a passage from this devotion to meditate on this month.