Taste and see

Devotional for November 23 · Psalms 34:8 · 12-minute read

Context

The psalm's title ties the poem to an episode in 1 Samuel 21:10-15. David, already anointed to be king, was fleeing from Saul and ended up in Gath, a Philistine city. Recognized there, he was afraid and pretended to be insane in front of the king to escape. The title calls this king Abimelech, while 1 Samuel calls him Achish; Abimelech was probably a title for Philistine kings, like Pharaoh in Egypt. It was around 1000 BC, and the future king was alone, humiliated and in danger.

In Hebrew, Psalm 34 is an acrostic: its verses follow, with small variations, the order of the alphabet. That shows it is a poem designed to be taught and memorized. The first part (vv. 1-10) is testimony and invitation; the second (vv. 11-22) is teaching, like a father calling his children. The apostle Peter uses this psalm twice in his first letter (1 Peter 2:3; 3:10-12).

What the text says

• v. 4: The testimony comes before the invitation: “I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.”
• v. 6: David describes himself as “This poor man.” The man anointed to be king presents himself as someone with no resources who could only cry out.
• v. 8: The invitation uses two verbs, taste and see, and ends with a portrait: “blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”

Reflection

This psalm of praise was born from one of the most humiliating moments of David's life. It was not written after a victory over a giant, but after an escape in which he had to act insane to stay alive. Even so he begins: “I will bless the LORD at all times.” At all times includes that time. David's praise does not deny fear; it comes out of a fear that found an answer.

The central invitation is striking: “Taste and see that the LORD is good.” Taste is the most personal sense we have. No one tastes food from a distance, and no one can taste it for someone else. David is not offering an argument to be debated in a circle of friends, but calling us into an experience. And that does not mean switching off our minds. The invitation rests on facts he tells: I sought, He answered, this poor man called out and was heard. It is like someone saying: I ate here, come and eat too.

We need to read verse 10 honestly: “those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.” The same psalm says a little later, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous” (v. 19). So the text does not promise a life without problems or a full bank account. David wrote this on the run, with no home and no army. The good that does not run out is the care of God Himself, who hears, rescues and encamps around those who fear Him (v. 7), even while circumstances are still hard.

The invitation ends in a refuge. Tasting God's goodness leads us to run to Him, like someone who has found shelter. Peter applies this verse to people who had just come to know Jesus: like newborn babies craving milk, they should grow up, now that they have tasted that the Lord is good (1 Peter 2:2-3). And the next verse makes clear whom he means: Christ, the living stone we come to (2:4). For a Christian, tasting the Lord's goodness means coming close to Jesus.

You do not need to have every answer before taking the first sip. David came afraid; you can come with doubts. Taste in a concrete way: read a chapter of the Gospel of Mark, pray a sincere prayer, sit at the table with Christians who truly live their faith, obey one small word of Jesus. Then look carefully. Whoever tastes honestly has something to tell.

Connections

• 1 Samuel 21:10-15 (cross-reference): The episode in Gath that the psalm's title refers to: David, afraid, pretending to be insane to escape.
• 1 Peter 2:2-4 (cross-reference): Peter takes up tasting that the Lord is good and shows that this Lord is Christ, the living stone.
• 1 Peter 3:10-12 (stated in the text): Peter quotes verses 12 to 16 of this psalm to teach the church to guard its tongue and pursue peace.

To apply

• Heart: has my faith been only something I discuss, or also something I taste day by day?
• Relationships: what true story of God's care can I tell someone, the way David told his?
• Today: choose a concrete way to taste: read Mark 1 quietly and pray in your own words about what you read.

Prayer

Lord, You are good, and I want to bless You at all times, including times of fear and shame. I confess that I often talk about You from a distance, I argue about You, but I do not come close to taste. Today I take refuge in You, as David did when he had no way out. Open my eyes to see Your care in the details of this day, and give me courage to tell others what I have tasted. In Jesus’ name, amen.

To memorize: Psalms 34:8
Today's step: Over the next 24 hours, write down three concrete signs of God's goodness in your day and tell someone about one of them.

To go deeper: read 1 Samuel 21; Psalms 34 and get to know David.

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