Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Thought: When was the last time you did something for the first time for the Lord?
Psalm 34 is an uplifting chapter of the Bible that we often overlook the circumstances surrounding it. The Psalmist is full of such joy!
V1 He is continually praising God.
V2 Gladness.
V4 Deliverance from fears.
V7 The angel of the Lord is near him.
V9 Needs are provided.
V10 His wants are met.
V15 The attention of God is on his life.
These blessings, all of this goodness, all of this blessedness was found by David. Surely this is when David slew Goliath? Maybe this is when David was slaying tens of thousands? Nay, in fact, this is the lowest part of David’s young adult life. David here had just fled Israel. He had no place to lay his head. His king, and father-in-law, hated him and sought to kill him. He was forced to leave his wife, his friends, his home, and even his country to ensure his own safety. David stopped by the house of God in such poverty he had to eat the shewbread and ask the priest for a weapon! He was provided with the sword of Goliath. We can all agree with David’s sentiment that there is “none like it.” David then makes a strange decision and flees to Gath in Philistia. He quickly extracts himself from what he realizes is a dangerous situation by acting insane. Last of all, David makes himself home in a cave. All the distressed, all the discontent, all the indebted, and his family surround him.
It was some time during this or after that Psalm 34 was formed in the heart of David the Psalmist. Some would not think this would be a time of celebrating. Some would not think God had his eyes and ears on the life of David. Some would not expect David to say the young lions are hungry and must hunt, but God had so provided that David wanted for nothing. Yet at this time David was filled with a peace. He was given a supernatural joy. How can we tap into the attitude of David that would allow him to “encourage himself in the Lord?” The answer is found in verse 8 of our Psalm passage: “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”
1. O taste and see
Trying something new is scary. There is a worry of failure attached to every new experience; however, new experiences bring the most joyous portions of our life. Try new foods. My friends from college picked up a strange bus promotion: pickles and whip cream! It is strange, it sounds inedible, but it was a very successful promotion. Kids loved trying it, visitors came on that Sunday, and it is a great amount of fun.
You taste and see new things if you want to grow. You fail some, you find some things that don’t work like David before Abimelech, but if you taste and see you will find great moments that lead you to your mighty men days of service for the Lord.
2. That the Lord
To taste and see is not a carnal piece of advice to get you to eat your vegetables. David had found through his loss that he was completely out of his comfort zone. He began to taste and see if all the stories he had heard were true. He began to taste what the Lord had to offer and see if God was able.
David tasted the shewbread. He kept himself holy and ate a meal only a few had opportunity to try. He asked and it was given when he prayed for a weapon. He even tried something new and didn’t like it: he fled the land of the namesake of his sword and went to Adullam. There in a cave he found that living in a cave surrounded by people who wanted to be with him was far better than dwelling in a king’s house who hated him.
James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
3. Is Good
Taste and see the Lord…IS GOOD! I could suggest you try something new and it might fail. Your parents could get you to try something new and it may not be your cup of tea. Even your best friends miss every now and then on recommendations. The Lord is always good. His ways are always pleasant. His blessings never miss. The verse continues by saying, “Blessed is the man.” That word means “happy.” There is a 100% chance that you will face trials and temptations as you move forward in life. There is also a 100% chance that if you follow God that it will also be good and happy.
Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Jesse Mccammon | Pastor
Flora Calvary Baptist Church | Flora, IL
