Read: Psalm 34:1–10
Taste and See That the LORD Is Good!
Psalm 34:8 – “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!”
There are some things in life that you cannot really understand until you experience them for yourself. For example, I can describe to you what riding the world’s largest roller coaster is like but that’s not the same as feeling the thrill for yourself, is it? Or take the triple-layered, rocky-road, super-deluxe chocolate cake that’s on your dessert plate. I could eat a piece right in front of you and tell you bite by bite how wonderful it tastes, how scrumptious and delicious it is, but you wouldn’t be satisfied with me just telling you about it, would you? I want to taste and see for myself, thank you very much!
Well, it’s the same with knowing God and having a relationship with him. I can tell you all about it. I can describe in great detail how God saves us, how wonderful his mercy and grace are, how good his promises and commands are for us, and what my experiences have been. But you really won’t know what I mean until you experience it for yourself. Like that chocolate cake, you’ve got to dig in and taste for yourself how good it is.
That’s why David wrote Psalm 34. He invites all of us to “taste and see that the LORD is good.” David himself had experienced it. He had been trapped deep in enemy territory. The Philistine king had him dead to rights, but David had cried to his God for help—and God came through! When it seemed impossible for things to turn out well, the LORD in his grace did exactly that for David.
And he’ll do exactly that for us too, same as he did for David’s son, Jesus Christ. God will deliver you, one way or another. That doesn’t mean there will be no suffering. David knew that too: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous” (v. 19), but the point is, the LORD will come through in the end. Remember that Jesus, God’s beloved Son, was afflicted with undeserved pain and punishment unto death itself. But then God raised him from the dead, giving him eternal life.
Whether in this life or through death itself, God’s promise is firm: he guards your life, your eternal life. To do that, he stands close, he keeps you believing, and provides all you need to serve him. God is good. Cry to him and taste it for yourself!