Taste and See That the Lord Is Good | Psalm 34

There are seasons when I need to remember that God’s goodness is not merely something to explain, but something to experience. I may know the right words, affirm the right doctrine, and encourage others with the right truths, yet still need my own soul to rediscover the invitation of Psalm 34: taste and see that the Lord is good.

Psalm 34 is a song of praise born out of deliverance. The heading connects it to a dangerous moment in David’s life when he had been in enemy territory and escaped with his life. David had been afraid, vulnerable, and surrounded by circumstances he could not control. Yet when he looked back, he did not merely remember his fear. He remembered the faithfulness of the Lord.

That gives this psalm a deep honesty. David is not praising God because life has been easy. He is praising God because the Lord heard him when he cried, delivered him from fear, rescued him from trouble, and remained near to the brokenhearted. The goodness of God was not theoretical for David. It had been tasted in the middle of danger.

At times, I need this psalm because fear, shame, disappointment, and anxiety can make God’s goodness feel distant. During difficult seasons, I may begin to interpret God through my circumstances rather than interpreting my circumstances through His character. Psalm 34 calls me to bless the Lord at all times, seek Him in fear, look to Him in shame, and take refuge in His care.

This psalm also teaches me that praise and instruction belong together. David worships, then he invites others to learn from his experience. He calls the humble to be glad, the fearful to seek the Lord, the needy to cry out, and those who desire life to turn from evil and do good.

Psalm 34 is not shallow optimism. It is tested praise. It reminds me that the Lord hears, delivers, provides, teaches, sees, redeems, and stays near. Even when life is hard, I can taste and see that the Lord is good.

Read Psalm 34:1-22 (ESV)

“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”

Psalm 34:8 (ESV)

Because the Lord is good, hears the cries of His people, and redeems those who take refuge in Him, I can bless Him in every season, seek Him in fear, trust Him in need, and walk in the wisdom of His ways.

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Big Idea 1: I Can Bless the Lord in Every Season

David begins, “I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Those words are easy to admire and difficult to practice. David does not say he will bless the Lord only when life feels peaceful, the answer is immediate, or the outcome is comfortable. He says, “at all times.”

This does not mean every season feels the same. David knew fear, danger, grief, betrayal, and pressure. Blessing the Lord at all times does not require me to call pain pleasant or pretend sorrow is not real. It means I refuse to let my circumstances become the final measure of God’s worth.

Praise is not always a spontaneous emotional response. Sometimes it is a deliberate act of trust. I bless the Lord because His character remains true even when my emotions feel unsettled.

Praise That Trains the Soul

When David says that praise will continually be in his mouth, he is describing more than a worship moment. He is choosing a pattern of speech. His mouth will not be ruled only by fear, complaint, accusation, or despair. Praise will have a place there.

That challenges me because my words often reveal what has captured my attention. When anxiety is leading me, my speech becomes filled with worry. If resentment is growing, my words become sharp or rehearsed around the offense. When fear dominates, I repeatedly speak about what might go wrong.

Psalm 34 invites me to let praise retrain my soul. I can speak truth about God before my feelings fully catch up. I can say, “Lord, You are good. You are faithful. You hear Your people. And You are worthy of praise.”

This kind of praise does not deny difficulty. It places difficulty beneath the larger reality of God’s goodness.

When I bless the Lord at all times, I am not saying every moment is good. I am saying the Lord is good in every moment.

Big Idea 2: Testimony Helps the Humble Find Courage

David says, “My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.” His testimony is not self-centered. He wants others who feel low, needy, or weak to hear what God has done and take courage.

That is one of the gifts of testimony. When I tell the story truthfully, the focus shifts from my strength to God’s faithfulness. I do not have to make myself the hero. I can speak honestly about fear, weakness, wrong turns, confusion, and mercy.

The humble are encouraged because they know they need help too. A proud person may listen to a testimony and critique the details. A humble person hears about God’s faithfulness and begins to hope.

Magnifying the Lord Together

David continues, “Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!” Praise becomes communal. David does not want to worship alone. He invites others to join him.

To magnify the Lord does not mean I make God larger than He is. It means I help others see His greatness more clearly. Like a lens that brings something into focus, testimony helps make the goodness of God more visible to people whose vision may be clouded by fear or pain.

People around me may be walking through seasons where hope feels thin. They need to hear more than advice. They need reminders that the Lord still hears, still delivers, still provides, and still redeems.

My story can serve their faith if I tell it with humility. I should not exaggerate details, rush someone else’s process, or imply that God will answer them in the exact same way He answered me. Yet I can say, “This is how the Lord met me, carried me, and this is why I still trust Him.”

When God has been faithful, praise should become an invitation.

Big Idea 3: The Lord Hears Me When Fear Drives Me to Seek Him

David says, “I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” He does not deny that fear was present. He tells me where he took it.

Fear can become a powerful force. It may push me toward control, withdrawal, defensiveness, anger, or panic. David lets fear drive him toward the Lord. That is the turning point.

I need to learn this again and again. The issue is not whether fear will ever rise within me. The question is what I do with it when it does. Will I rehearse fear until it becomes louder, or will I seek the Lord and bring fear into His presence?

Delivered From My Fears

David says the Lord delivered him from all his fears. This does not necessarily mean every fearful circumstance disappeared immediately. It means fear no longer held the same authority over his soul.

That kind of deliverance is deeply needed. Sometimes I want God to remove every external reason for fear before I will rest. The Lord may graciously change the situation, but He also works within me so that fear does not become my master.

Seeking the Lord includes prayer, Scripture, worship, wise counsel, and choosing to remember what is true. As I seek Him, fear is placed beneath His character. My thoughts begin to be shaped by who God is rather than only by what might happen.

David had real reasons to be afraid. The goodness of God did not become meaningful because life was safe. It became meaningful because God met him when life was not safe.

When fear rises, I can seek the Lord. I can tell Him the truth, ask for help, and trust that His answer will be wiser than my panic.

Big Idea 4: Looking to the Lord Lifts Shame From My Face

Psalm 34 says, “Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.” This is a beautiful promise because shame often makes me want to lower my face, hide my eyes, and disappear.

Shame tells me that my weakness, failure, need, or fear has made me unacceptable. It convinces me to hide from God and from people who might see the truth. Yet David says that those who look to the Lord become radiant.

The direction of my gaze matters. If I only look inward, I may become trapped in regret. If I only look outward, I may become controlled by comparison or criticism. When I look to the Lord, shame begins to lose its authority.

The Poor Man Cried

David then says, “This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.” He identifies himself as poor, needy, dependent, and unable to save himself.

That humility is freeing. David is not trying to preserve an image of strength. He cried because he needed mercy. The Lord heard him.

I often feel pressure to appear more composed than I am. Ministry, leadership, family responsibilities, and personal expectations can make me feel as though I should already know how to handle everything. Psalm 34 gives me permission to be the poor man who cries out.

God does not despise that cry. He hears it.

This is part of what it means to taste and see that the Lord is good. I discover His goodness not by pretending I have no need, but by bringing my need to Him and finding that He does not turn away.

Radiance comes from looking to the Lord, not from maintaining the appearance that I have never struggled.

Big Idea 5: Taking Refuge in God Reveals His Goodness

David’s invitation is clear: “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!” He is not content to speak about God’s goodness from a distance. He invites others to experience it personally.

To taste is to move beyond observation. I can describe food without eating it, but tasting requires participation. In the same way, I can talk about God’s goodness without entrusting myself to Him. Psalm 34 calls me to take refuge and discover His goodness personally.

David immediately adds, “Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.” The goodness of God is experienced by the person who runs to Him for safety, help, forgiveness, and hope.

Goodness Discovered in Dependence

Taking refuge means I stop pretending that I can secure my life on my own. It means I bring my fear, need, sin, weakness, and future under the care of the Lord.

This is not a one-time lesson. I may trust God in one area while still trying to control another. Psalm 34 invites me to keep discovering His goodness through fresh surrender.

God’s goodness does not always mean He gives me exactly what I requested. A child may taste the goodness of a parent through both provision and protection, through comfort and correction. The Lord’s goodness is deeper than my immediate preferences.

The goodness of God is ultimately revealed in Jesus Christ. Through His life, death, and resurrection, I see the depth of divine mercy, holiness, love, and redemption. At the cross, God does not merely tell me He is good. He shows me His goodness through the giving of His Son.

I can taste and see that the Lord is good because Christ has opened the way for me to take refuge in Him.

Big Idea 6: The Fear of the Lord Teaches Me How to Live

Psalm 34 shifts from testimony to instruction: “Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.” David wants others to learn the wisdom that flows from reverent trust.

The fear of the Lord is not terror that drives me away from God. It is reverence that draws me toward faithful obedience. It means I take His holiness seriously, trust His Word deeply, and refuse to treat sin lightly.

David becomes practical. If I desire life and want to see good, I must keep my tongue from evil, my lips from deceit, turn away from evil, do good, seek peace, and pursue it.

Worship That Shapes My Words and Actions

This section reminds me that experiencing God’s goodness should change the way I live. Praise without obedience becomes shallow. Testimony without transformation remains incomplete.

The first area David names is speech. He tells me to keep my tongue from evil and my lips from deceit. That is important because my words often reveal whether I am walking in the fear of the Lord.

Do I speak truthfully when exaggeration would help my case? Do I avoid gossip when sharing the information would make me feel included? Are my words shaped by peace, or do they stir conflict?

David also calls me to seek peace and pursue it. Peace does not always happen accidentally. It often requires humility, patience, repentance, forgiveness, boundaries, and courage.

The fear of the Lord teaches me that obedience is not a burden designed to diminish life. It is the path of wisdom that leads toward life. God’s commands are good because He is good.

To taste His goodness rightly, I must also learn His ways.

Big Idea 7: The Lord Is Near to the Brokenhearted

One of the most tender promises in Psalm 34 is that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. This verse has comforted countless people because it speaks directly to the places where life hurts most deeply.

The psalm does not pretend that righteous people never suffer. In fact, it says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous.” That sentence is honest. Faithfulness does not exempt me from pain, loss, disappointment, fear, grief, or pressure.

Yet the verse continues: “but the LORD delivers him out of them all.” The affliction is real, but so is the deliverance of God.

Nearness in the Place of Pain

I need to remember that God’s nearness is not proven only by the absence of trouble. Sometimes His nearness becomes most precious in the middle of it.

When my heart is broken, I may feel as though God must be distant because the pain is so intense. Psalm 34 tells me the opposite. The Lord draws near to the brokenhearted. He does not avoid crushed spirits. He comes close.

This nearness may be experienced through Scripture, prayer, worship, the compassion of another believer, the quiet strength to keep going, or the comfort of the Holy Spirit when words are few. It may not remove grief immediately, but it assures me that I am not abandoned within it.

For Christians, this promise is deepened by Jesus. He entered our suffering, carried our griefs, bore our sin, and rose victorious. The Savior who was broken for us is near to the brokenhearted now.

God’s goodness does not mean my heart will never break. It means He will not leave me alone when it does.

Big Idea 8: The Lord Redeems Those Who Take Refuge in Him

Psalm 34 ends with redemption: “The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.” This is where the psalm’s hope reaches its fullest depth.

David has spoken of fear, trouble, need, affliction, and brokenheartedness. The final word is not any of those things. The final word is redemption.

To redeem is to rescue, buy back, and restore. God does not merely help me cope with trouble. He acts to save and reclaim what belongs to Him.

No Condemnation for Those in Christ

The final promise points me toward the gospel. Romans 8 declares that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Psalm 34 says that those who take refuge in the Lord will not be condemned.

That does not mean I never need correction, confession, or repentance. It means condemnation is not the destiny of those who belong to the Redeemer. Christ has carried the judgment of sin, and those who take refuge in Him are sheltered by His grace.

This is the deepest reason I can bless the Lord at all times. My circumstances may rise and fall. Emotions may change. My strength may fail. Yet redemption in Christ gives me a hope that cannot be taken away.

The Lord hears the cry of the fearful, receives the poor in spirit, stays near to the brokenhearted, and redeems those who take refuge in Him.

Because of that, I can say with David and with the people of God across generations: taste and see that the Lord is good.

Conclusion

Psalm 34 is a song of tested praise. David blesses the Lord after walking through fear, danger, and need. He does not deny the reality of trouble, but he refuses to let trouble become the final interpreter of God’s character.

The invitation taste and see that the Lord is good calls me to move beyond distant agreement into personal trust. I do not truly taste the Lord’s goodness by merely admiring the idea of refuge. I taste His goodness when I run to Him with my fear, shame, weakness, need, and broken heart.

This psalm teaches me that the Lord hears those who seek Him. He delivers from fear, lifts shame, surrounds His people, teaches wisdom, watches over the righteous, draws near to the brokenhearted, and redeems those who take refuge in Him.

At the same time, Psalm 34 calls me to respond with obedience. The fear of the Lord should shape my words, my honesty, my pursuit of peace, and my willingness to turn from evil. God’s goodness is not an excuse for careless living. It is the reason I want to walk in His ways.

Today, I want to bless the Lord at all times. I want praise to be continually on my lips, not because every circumstance is easy, but because God is faithful in every circumstance.

The Lord is good. He has heard me before; He is near in the present, and He will redeem all who take refuge in Him.

Prayer

Lord, I bless You because You are good. Teach me to praise You at all times, not only when life feels easy or answers come quickly. When fear rises, help me seek You. When shame lowers my face, teach me to look to You and be radiant. Thank You for hearing the cry of the poor and needy. Help me taste and see that You are good as I take refuge in Your care. Teach me the fear of the Lord so that my words become truthful, my actions become faithful, and my heart seeks peace. Draw near to me in brokenness, save me when my spirit feels crushed, and keep my hope anchored in the redemption found in Jesus Christ. In His name, amen.

Call to Action

Read Psalm 34 slowly and notice every promise connected to seeking, crying, fearing, and taking refuge in the Lord.

Write down one fear or burden you need to bring honestly before God. Then pray Psalm 34:8 personally: “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”

Choose one practical way to pursue peace today. That may mean speaking truthfully, refusing gossip, apologizing, forgiving, setting a healthy boundary, or praying before responding.

Share this reflection with someone who needs encouragement that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and faithful to those who take refuge in Him.

Links From chadbrodrick.com

1. Taking Refuge in the King | Psalm 2
2. God Is My Shield | Psalm 3
3. The King Rejoices in Your Strength | Psalm 21
4. Who Is This King of Glory? | Psalm 24
5. God Is With You: Holding On to His Presence in Hard Times

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Blessings,

Chad 

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