Taste And See: Experiencing God's Goodness Series

Taste and See: Experiencing God's Goodness

Psalm 34:8 (NLT): “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!”

Introduction: An Invitation to Experience God’s Goodness

How many of us love the taste of a good meal? Whether it's a warm, home-cooked meal or a delicious dessert, tasting something good can bring joy to our hearts.

But have you ever considered that God invites us to taste and see His goodness?

In Psalm 34:8, David extends an invitation not just to observe, but to experience the goodness of the Lord for ourselves.

Today, we are going to explore what it means to taste and see that the Lord is good. We’ll discover that God’s goodness is not something distant or abstract but something real and personal, something we can experience in our everyday lives.

1. Taste and See: Experiencing God's Goodness First-Hand

Let’s begin with our key verse, Psalm 34:8 (NLT): "Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!"

David uses two sensory words here: taste and see. These are personal experiences. This is not just about knowing with our minds that God is good, but about experiencing His goodness with every fibre of our being. The Hebrew word for “taste” is ta’am, which refers to perceiving or testing something by experience. God invites us to come close, to experience His goodness, to savour the richness of His love and grace.

David wrote this psalm after being delivered from a dangerous situation. He had pretended to be insane before King Achish to escape with his life. David isn’t writing as someone who knows God’s goodness only theoretically — he had experienced God’s goodness in the midst of fear and desperation. This psalm is his response of gratitude and praise.

David isn’t inviting us to a one-time taste; the invitation is to continually experience God’s goodness in our lives. He is saying: Don’t just know about God, experience Him for yourself. This is an invitation to intimacy with God.

Jeremiah 29:13 (NLT): “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.”

God doesn’t hide Himself from those who seek Him. He is eager for us to know and experience Him.

Have you experienced the goodness of God in your life? Do you know Him not just as a distant deity, but as a loving Father who cares for you personally? God is inviting you today to taste and see His goodness, to draw near to Him, to trust Him in every situation, and to find joy in His presence.

Think about a person who’s never tasted honey before. You can describe its sweetness and texture, but until they actually taste it, they won’t truly understand how good it is. The same is true with God. You can hear about His goodness, but until you seek Him, trust Him, and experience Him for yourself, you won’t fully grasp how good He truly is.

As John Piper says, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." True satisfaction comes from experiencing the goodness of God.

2. God’s Goodness Is Evident in His Provision and Protection

In the same psalm, David speaks of how God provides for and protects those who seek Him.

Psalm 34:9-10 (NLT): "Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing."

The “fear” mentioned here is not about being afraid of God but having a reverence and awe for Him.

To “fear the Lord” means to honour and respect Him, to submit to His authority in our lives. When we live in this kind of relationship with God, we will experience His provision. David contrasts God’s faithful provision with the hunger of “strong young lions” — even the powerful can lack, but those who trust in God will never lack what they truly need.

The Hebrew word for “lack” here is chaser, which means to be in need or want. David is reminding us that God knows our needs and supplies them in His perfect timing and way.

Philippians 4:19 (NLT): "And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus."

In our daily lives, do we trust God to provide for us?

Are we seeking Him first, knowing that He is faithful to meet our needs?

Sometimes we become anxious, wondering how we will get by, but God promises to care for His children. This doesn’t mean life will be without challenges, but it does mean that in every situation, we can trust that He is with us, providing exactly what we need.