◄ What Does Psalm 34:8 Mean? ►

Taste and see that the LORD is good! How blessed is the person who trusts in him!

Psalm 34:8(ISV)

Verse of the Day

Over and again, we discover wonderful ways that the Lord delivers His servants from their afflictions and saves them from the hands of their enemies. It was for this reason that the psalmist's great song of joy and rejoicing rang out with the words: "O taste and see that the Lord is good. How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him."

This call for men to trust in the Lord, to taste of His faithfulness, and to see that the Lord is good and gracious, stands in the centre of a psalm that begins by blessing the Lord at all times and praising Him continually. It is a trumpet call for men to glorify the name of the Lord and to lift Him up in a symphony of worship and praise, for He alone is worthy of our honour.

It is David who is credited with these beautiful words, and the reason behind his exultant praise is that he sought the Lord, and God answered His prayer. The Lord delivered his servant from all his fears. Though David had been anointed as king of Israel, he was on the run from Saul who had become jealous of God’s anointed one, and in his attempt to escape from one bitter enemy, David fled into the arms of another deadly adversary, the king of the Philistines!

Achish, the king of the Philistines, recognised David as the man who was proclaimed throughout Israel as being the great champion of God’s chosen people: "Saul has slain his thousands," was their joyful chant, "and David has slain his tens of thousands."

King Achish realised that he was vulnerable, and David became afraid of him. In his attempt to escape from harm, David changed his behaviour and feigned madness, dribbling from his mouth and simulating insanity! Yes, his little play-acting worked and David escaped from his enemy.

David had trusted the Lord from his youth, and although he was not exempt from tribulation and trials, he knew the Lord would bring him through any difficulties and danger. God may not prevent life's problems and pain, but He knows how to rescue the righteous from the evil one and reminds us: "The Angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues those that are His."

God still had work for David to do, and whether by his amateur dramatics or by some alternative strategy, David recognised the protecting hand of God upon His life and was prepared to give thanks and praise to the Lord for His wonderful deliverance from his enemies. But he also wanted to encourage others to taste and see for themselves that the Lord is good and blesses those that trust in Him. He wanted others to learn the same lesson that had so rejoiced his soul; that those who trust in the Lord are blessed indeed, and will not be disappointed.

David was a man after God's own heart who recognised the sustaining hand of the Lord in his own life and gave honour and praise to Him at all times. And like David, we would do well to hide under the shadow of God’s protective arm, to seek Him in the midst of our trials and tribulations, and cry out to the Lord for deliverance from the enemies into whose path we run, so that we too may rejoice with great joy and encourage others to: "Taste and see that the Lord is good and to know how truly blessed is the man, who takes refuge in the Lord."

My Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word and the wisdom that it contains. Thank You that I have tasted of Your saving grace and am eternally blessed, by trusting in Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. May I seek You in all the difficulties and dangers of life and recognise Your guiding hand of grace and protection in my life. You are my refuge and strength and my ever-present help in troubled times. Thank You, in Jesus' name, AMEN.