An Invitation to Taste and See That the Lord is Good Psalm 34:8 Devotional

In this Psalm 34:8 Devotional, we’ll explore the exciting invitation to taste and see the goodness of the Lord through two of our God-given senses. We’ll discover what it means to develop a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father, how to recognize His blessings in our daily lives, and why trusting in His goodness is the key to true happiness.

I love watching those cooking shows on TV, the ones where the host describes what their food tastes like for the audience at home. The sweetness of a strawberry shortcake… how the spongy cake blends with buttery cream and rich berries. The flaky crust and gooey, warm filling of a tart cherry pie. Or a spicy, hot enchilada, bursting with flavor and lighting up your taste buds with every bite!

And I especially love the flavors of my childhood. My Granny made the most scrumptious chicken and dumplings, and the best biscuits and gravy imaginable! With each yummy bite, I’m instantly transported to another time and place. Happy memories of my family gathered around the table, laughing, talking, and living life together, fill my soul while I’m filling my tummy.

But here’s the thing about taste… it’s not something you can learn secondhand. It’s something you have to experience for yourself. You can listen to someone describe a delicious dish all day long, but to truly know it, you have to take a bite and taste it for yourself.

God created us to experience the world through our senses. They help us understand our surroundings and enjoy everyday life. That’s why the Word of God uses the powerful metaphor of tasting and seeing in Psalm 34:8. It’s one of my favorite verses, and by the end of this Bible study, I hope it will be one of yours too. So let’s read the verse together and uncover the deep meaning behind it.

What is the Meaning of Psalm 34:8?

Have you ever tried a new food for the first time and instantly loved it? That moment of discovery, the surprise and delight, is exactly the kind of experience this verse is inviting us into.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; 

Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Psalm 34:8 NKJV

This short verse from the book of Psalms is a beautiful invitation to come close, take a bite, and experience the fullness of God’s goodness for yourself. The Hebrew word translated as taste isn’t just about eating something, it means to perceive, to discern, and to understand by trying. It’s symbolic of a deep, personal, and satisfying encounter.

Let’s be honest, when it comes to food, we all have our preferences. But no one can describe the taste of a sweet morsel in a way that you grasp its flavor until you’ve tried it. The same is true for your own experience with God.

This Psalm of David was written during a chaotic and dangerous time in his life when he was fleeing from King Saul. But even in fear and uncertainty, David lifted his voice in praise and declared the incredible goodness of the Lord for all to hear.

O taste and see is a call to action, not just to observe or hear about God from others, but to fully engage with Him. The writer of Psalm 34 encourages us to explore the goodness of God firsthand. He’s not offering a superficial taste of things, but rather the blessing of our Heavenly Father’s grace and faithfulness.

God’s goodness isn’t merely something to believe in… it’s something to encounter. And that kind of personal experience opens the door to eternal life with Him in heaven.

What Does Taste and See That the Lord is Good Mean?

The sense of taste has the power to transport us to unseen places. Sometimes it’s a faraway vacation spot or a new food we’ve never tried before. And other times, it’s back in time to a special memory, maybe a cozy kitchen, the laughter of family, or a warm plate of comfort food shared with loved ones. What do all of those things have in common? They’re more about the experience and time shared than the food itself.

And Psalm 34:8 is about spending time with God. Not just to know about Him, but to truly savor His presence and His promises.

This kind of invitation isn’t just a poetic idea. It’s a deep spiritual truth. In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, we’re invited to experience the fullness of God’s goodness. So, let’s break down this verse and explore the flavors of His grace in every bite-sized morsel.

Tasting is Knowing

Tasting helps us make discoveries. When it comes to trying a new food, we don’t truly know what something is like until we’ve tasted it ourselves. Descriptions can only take us so far, real understanding comes from personal experience.

That’s the heart of Psalm 34:8. It doesn’t invite us to simply learn about God from other pwople, it calls us to taste of the Lord for ourselves. To know Him firsthand, not through secondhand stories, but through our own real-life encounters with His grace and goodness. Because tasting is more than believing… it’s knowing.

The Apostle Peter echoed this idea in the New Testament…

If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
1 Peter 2:3 NKJV

Peter was referring back to this beautiful Psalm of David, reminding us that once we’ve had our own experience with the Lord, we begin to understand just how good He truly is.

And that kind of tasting changes everything. It opens our hearts to the Word of God, draws us closer to our Heavenly Father, and helps us see that His plans are always for our best interests.

Seeing is Believing

People say seeing is believing. And I think that’s true. Because seeing confirms what we’ve experienced. If we believe in our hearts that God is good, then our eyes are opened to seeing His goodness on display in our lives every day.

David, the writer of Psalm 34, expresses this same confidence in another one of his psalms…

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Psalm 27:13 NKJV

These words share the same faith-filled perspective found in Psalm 34:8. Even when life felt overwhelming, David believed he would see God’s hand at work in real time, not just in eternity.

God has given us so many blessings. Through the simple things like getting to and from work safely every day, to the big earth-shattering moments where life takes an unexpected turn, the goodness of God never changes.

And because of our faith in Almighty God, we’re able to see His blessings just like we can see the beauty of a sunset with its brilliant colors fading into each other. The vast ocean with its sandy beach. A babbling brook, cool and blue. Or a rolling hillside, lush and green. Just think of all of the amazing sights God has created for us to see!

So yes… seeing really is believing. Because once we’ve tasted God’s goodness for ourselves, we begin to see it everywhere. It’s no longer something we’ve only heard about or hoped for. It becomes something we recognize, a visible reminder that God’s hand is always at work in our lives.

The Lord is Good

God is good all the time! And the outcome of both tasting and seeing, is believing in the goodness of God. Through both the good and bad times, God shows His true colors by blessing us with mercy and compassion.

The psalmist says it beautifully…

The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
Psalm 33:5 NKJV

That means His goodness isn’t hidden or reserved for a select few, it’s everywhere. His blessings surround us, even when we’re going through difficult seasons. We just need to pause long enough to notice them.

Because the Lord is good, we can trust that His intentions toward us are full of love. He wants to share His incredible goodness with you—not just in eternity, but in your everyday life right now.

So, if you’re longing to experience God’s blessings in a deeper way, the invitation is open… taste and see for yourself today.

Trusting God’s Help in Times of Need

When life is overwhelming and we have nowhere else to turn, there’s One who always hears us. In our darkest, most desperate moments, we can cry out to God, and He promises to listen.

This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
Psalm 34:6 NKJV

Have you ever felt like this poor man, crying out with no solution in sight? That’s the kind of personal, compassionate response we can expect from our Heavenly Father.

The righteous cry, and He hears. He doesn’t turn away from those with a broken heart or a contrite spirit. Psalm 34 is a message of hope to all of us walking through the messy parts of life. And when we’ve experienced His rescue firsthand, it becomes clear that His goodness isn’t just something we read about… it’s something we taste and see for ourselves.

God’s Hand in the Goodness

Sometimes in the rush of everyday life, we overlook the signs of God’s hand at work. But when we slow down and take time to reflect, we begin to see how His hand has been guiding us all along, even when we didn’t realize it.

God’s protection is unmatched. He alone is our source of safety, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can walk in confidence and grace.

When we taste the goodness of God, we’re also tasting the depth of His love. It was revealed through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus and the ongoing work of redemption He’s completed on our behalf. His goodness isn’t just something we experience, it’s a reflection of His loving hand at work in every part of our lives.

Read More:

• Why is Jesus the Good Shepherd? Find out in this Devotional!

• Let these Bible Verses about Fasting Encourage Your Faith!

• Discover why you already have God’s Favor in this Bible Study!

From David’s Life to Our Own

David knew what it meant to depend fully on God. His life was filled with moments of danger, fear, and uncertainty, especially during the time he wrote Psalm 34, when he was on the run from King Saul and hiding in the land of the Philistines. Yet even in that chaotic season, David turned his heart toward the Lord.

He didn’t write this psalm from a place of comfort. He wrote it from the trenches of real life, with real enemies closing in. And still, he declared the goodness of God in this verse…

The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.
Psalm 34:10 NKJV

This bold statement reveals what David learned through his own experience receiving God’s help. Even when the strongest and most self-sufficient go without, those who trust in the Lord are fully cared for.

David had tasted the Lord’s provision. He had seen God’s hand protect and sustain him time and again. And now, through Psalm 34, he invites us to trust the same faithful God in our everyday lives.

How to Taste and See for Yourself

The invitation in Psalm 34:8 isn’t just for David, it’s for every believer who longs to experience God personally and intimately. Tasting and seeing that the Lord is good begins with a willing heart and a simple step of faith.

We don’t need a perfect life or spotless record to draw near to Him. All we need is the desire to know Him more, and a readiness to respond to His call.

If you want to taste of the Lord, here’s where to start…

• Spend time in the Word of God – Read it with a heart ready to receive His truth and let it shape your understanding.

• Talk to God in prayer – Approach the throne of grace with confidence, knowing He hears and responds.

• Trust Him through trials – Let your own understanding be transformed by His faithfulness.

• Remember His past faithfulness – Reflect on the times He’s shown up in your life and let them remind you He will do it again.

• Look for His blessings in daily life – Pay attention to the small moments. God is always at work, even in the ordinary.

Each time you do, you’ll draw closer to the name of Jesus Christ and develop a deeper, more vibrant experience of God.

The Blessings of Trusting God’s Goodness

In this Psalm 34:8 Devotional, we’ve explored what it truly means to taste and see that the Lord is good. This verse is more than a beautiful invitation, it’s a call to actively trust in God’s goodness through every moment of life.

David didn’t write these words during a peaceful time in his life. He was facing fear, uncertainty, and danger. However, he boldly proclaimed the goodness of God in spite of his circumstances. And that same goodness is available to you today.

So, take a step toward Him. Open His Word, whisper a prayer, and pay attention to the many ways He’s already at work around you. Taste His mercy. See His grace. Trust His heart.

Because when you do, you’ll discover this truth for yourself… The Lord is good, and those who trust in Him are truly blessed.

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