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Psalm 34:8 - Finding Fullness of Joy.Psalm 34:8 (NIV) Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.Psalm 34:8 (NLT) Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! INTRODUCTION "Taste and see" does not mean "Check out God's credentials." Instead, it is a warm invitation: "Try this; I know you'll like it." When we take that first step toward getting to know God, we discover that he is good and kind. When we begin the Christian life, our knowledge of God is partial and incomplete. This will be the case until we meet God face-to-face, but as we invite the Holy Spirit to help us, study the Bible, and get to know other Christians, we begin to have the joy of tasting and experiencing God's love. [Life Application SB 2019] To taste and see is experiential. You are being invited to try and experience the very nature of God. Have you done that? Do you take God at His Word? Have you experienced His goodness firsthand? Do you seek Him as your sole source of protection and realize that He loves you more than you can imagine? David is inviting you through this Psalm to put the matter to the test. Like David, once you have truly tasted and seen the goodness of God, your desire will be for others to experience what you have already come to know. [The Practice of the Presence of God: 40 Day Devotional by Brother Lawrence/Alan Vermilye] COMMENTARY PEARL Taste Testers It takes more than the love of food to become a professional taste tester. The best ones don't simply nibble on chocolates all day, scribbling down notes between bites. Rather, their superior chemical senses enable them to differentiate layers of flavors. They also know how to speak "taste." Instead of describing food with words like, "This tastes good," they'll say something like, "This lemon pudding is sweet, but tart with a harsh bite." Today's promise challenges us to move from theory to practice. "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good," David writes. Don't just talk about God's goodness - take a bite. It's an invitation to test the Lord's promise of kindness and protection. He's saying, "Don't take my word for it" And once you have tasted His goodness, you'll want more. The apostle Peter speaks of this when describing how young Christians, having "tasted that the Lord is gracious," will "desire the pure milk of the word, that [they] may grow thereby" (1 Peter 1:2, 3). David wrote this psalm while a fugitive, after feigning madness before the king of Gath (1 Samuel 21:12-15). Its general theme is God's care for those going through difficulties, even as they practice dishonesty in the face of fear. The different flavors of God's mercy are tasted in its verses. For example, He delivers us from fear when we seek Him (v. 4), makes our faces radiant when we look to Him (v. 5), and saves us from trouble when we cry out to Him (v. 6). Have you fully put yourself into God's hands? Taste and see for yourself that He is good, and you will be blessed. My heavenly Father, I have tasted Your goodness and want more. [The Most Amazing Bible Promises by Amazing Facts] COMMENTARY Taste and See My friend, Dan Earl, is a bee-keeper. Recently he presented me with a gift basket of his bee byproducts - creams, candles, and best of all, his top-selling honey. That Sunday I enjoyed a cup of Earl Grey tea and toasted crumpets with butter and honey. I was almost in heaven. It was so delicious. The Puritan, Jonathan Edwards, drew a parallel between honey and Psalm 34:8. One can conclude that honey is honey because it is golden, has a certain viscosity, and has bits of comb in it. Therefore, it must be honey. But Edwards said there is a superior way to know. Put a drop on your tongue, and you'll see that knowing honey involves much more than understanding facts about it. To truly know honey is to taste and see that it is sweet, delicious, and delightful. There's nothing quite like it! The same can be said about our knowledge of God. We can conclude that God is God because he is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent... he is attended by thousands of angels and he sits on the throne of heaven.., he is the Supreme Ruler, the Creator of all things and the Judge of all men. But even the devil knows these facts about God! So, truly knowing God involves more than knowing facts about him. We must "taste and see that the Lord is good," sweet, delightful, and all lovely. We must have a heart that awakens to his true splendor through experiencing his beauty. Dr. John Piper writes, "Before we met Christ we were dead, blind, deaf and insensitive to God's glory; we couldn't taste it as beautiful... Conversion to Christ puts within us a taste for divine things, a taste for the glory of God. Our battle is to constantly see him more clearly that we might delight in him more fully." Lord Jesus, your Word is sweeter than honey and I find you utterly delightful. Awaken my heart further to your beauty and splendor. [Joni Eareckson Tada Daily Devotional: http://www.joniandfriends.org/daily-devotional] ILLUSTRATION For giving occasions like birthdays and Christmas I like to give experiences, so I gave my husband, Zane, a certificate for an adventure dinner. I made a reservation at a restaurant in Leadville, Colorado, called the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse. The dinner is in a yurt (a portable circular building) that you cross-country ski one mile up to at the top of a pass called Tennessee Pass. After dining, using a headlamp, you ski back down. Neither of us is an experienced cross-country skier, but being comfortable on downhill skis, we quickly adapted to the skinny, wobbly equipment. We started the trek at dusk. The snow carpeted the ground, and a full moon slowly appeared. It was magical. The yurt was cozy, and dinner was delicious. I thanked God for giving us our senses because they can bring us such delight. Jesus often performed miracles that impacted people's senses. He made the disciples breakfast on the beach (John 21:12-13). He allowed the blind to see (Matthew 9:27-29). He stopped the wind and calmed the waters (Matthew 8:23-27). Experiences that remind me He is good. The ski down from the yurt was challenging. It had been a warm day, so the ski track had melted and then frozen with no new snow, making it an icy course. We slipped and slid, feeling awkward at times, but laughing together. That night we experienced all our God-given senses, gifting us with a memory for a lifetime. Jeannie Blackmer Faith Step: Go for an adventure walk with Jesus tonight with a flashlight or headlamp, and tune in to your different senses. What do you see, hear, feel, and smell that gives you delight? [Mornings With Jesus 2026 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan] CLOSING PEARL To "taste and see" that the Lord is good means to personally experience, test, and verify God's goodness in your life rather than just hearing about it. It is an invitation to trust Him, take refuge in Him, and actively encounter His grace, faithfulness, and protection. Here is how you can practically taste and see that the Lord is good: o Take Refuge in Him: Actively trust God in times of trouble and rely on Him for protection, which allows you to experience His faithfulness firsthand. o Study and Meditate on His Word: Engaging with Scripture allows you to "feed" on God's truth, transforming your understanding of His character from intellectual knowledge to personal experience. o Engage in Prayer and Worship: Regularly spending time in prayer, singing, and reflecting on God's works helps you experience His presence and peace. o Observe His Blessings: Actively looking for and recognizing God's love, mercy, and provision in your daily life. o Obey and Follow Him: Living in accordance with His ways leads to a tangible, personal experience of His goodness. The result of this personal experience is the understanding that true happiness and blessing come from relying on Him. AI LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY Psalm 34:8 - Experience Jesus and Find Fullness of Joy. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2025/20250202-1617.html https://www.abible.com/devotions/2018/20180302-0916.html http://www.abible.com/devotions/2011/20110213-1923.html http://www.abible.com/devotions/2007/20070219-1206.html http://www.abible.com/devotions/2004/20040315-1549.html Psalm 34:5 - How To Shine Like The Sun. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2015/20150213-1623.html Psalm 34:7 - In Jesus We Are In The Best Of Care. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2004/20040723-1350.html Hebrews 11:6 - Faith is a Relationship with God. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211010-1057.html https://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211019-1025.html |