Psalm 34:1-22
Taste and See
1Of David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, so that the king drove him away. I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.
2My soul boasts in the LORD; let the oppressed hear and rejoice.
3Magnify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together.
4I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.
5Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces shall never be ashamed.
6This poor man called out, and the LORD heard him; He saved him from all his troubles.
7The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.
8Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
9Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing.
10Young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
11Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12Who is the man who delights in life, who desires to see good days?
13Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech.
14Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
15The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.
16But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to wipe out all memory of them from the earth.
17The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears; He delivers them from all their troubles.
18The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit.
19Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all.
20He protects all his bones; not one of them will be broken.
21Evil will slay the wicked, and the haters of the righteous will be condemned.
22The LORD redeems His servants, and none who take refuge in Him will be condemned.
Berean Standard Bible
David blesses the LORD at all times and invites the humble to hear and rejoice. He sought the LORD, and God answered him and delivered him from his fears. The invitation to taste and see that the LORD is good is experiential language: God's goodness is not merely an idea to discuss but a refuge to enter.
The psalm teaches the fear of the LORD to those who want life and good days. Keep the tongue from evil, turn from evil, do good, seek peace, and pursue it. The commands are active; peace is not simply the absence of noise. It must be sought and pursued.
The righteous have many afflictions, but the LORD delivers them from them all. That sentence protects the psalm from a shallow promise of ease. God is near to the brokenhearted and saves those crushed in spirit. The wicked may be condemned by their own evil, but the LORD redeems His servants and does not condemn those who take refuge in Him.
Questions
1 What happened when David sought the LORD?
AnswerThe LORD answered him and delivered him from the fears that had surrounded him.
2 How can a person pursue good days?
AnswerHe should guard his speech, turn from evil, do good, seek peace, and actively pursue it.
3 What is true about the righteous person's troubles?
AnswerThe righteous have many afflictions, but the LORD remains near and delivers them.
4 Who is especially near to God?
AnswerThe LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those whose spirits have been crushed.
What This Means for Us
Goodness is not proven by a trouble-free life. This psalm gives sufferers a promise of God's nearness while acknowledging that affliction remains real.
Peace requires pursuit. In a family, that may mean ending a rumor, making a repair, listening to a hurt person, or choosing a difficult truth over a convenient quiet.
Prayer
LORD, be near to the brokenhearted and crushed in spirit. Teach us to turn from evil, pursue peace actively, and help one another taste the goodness of Your refuge. Amen.