Taste and see that the Lord is good
Psalms 34:8-10 - This psalm is a reminder that fulfillment and provision are gifts from God, not from our own efforts or worldly resources.
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”
Psalms 34:8-10 NIV
The Lord continues to nudge me in the direction of the Old Testament. That’s actually a very good thing; can you imagine picking up a best-seller and only reading the last half? You would have no idea who the characters are, why they’re doing certain things, and the plot would seem confusing…
The Old Testament tells us why the Jews were seeking a Messiah, it contains the many prophecies that point to Jesus, it explains the Jewish customs and holy days that Jesus refers to during His ministry, it reveals a lot about God’s character, and it teaches us how to love and serve God. The 150 Psalms deal with God’s creation, worship, wisdom, sin and evil, judgement, justice, and the coming of the Messiah.
In today’s Psalm, these verses are an invitation by David for the reader (or singer) to personally experience God’s goodness. Only through our physical senses (“taste and see”) are we able to interact with the world. Faith is essentially a spiritual sense, how we interact with the spiritual world. Tasting and seeing the Lord’s goodness is learning to trust Him, love Him, seek Him, and look to Him for guidance, protection, and provision. David knows by experience that those with faith are blessed by God, and he concludes verse 8 with the words “blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”
Next is a call for God’s people to “Fear the Lord”. The Ancient Hebrew word יָרֵא (yārē') is often defined as “fear” or “to be afraid of”, but the meaning here is for His people to show reverence, honor and respect toward the Lord. That request is followed by a promise of His blessing — “those who fear Him lack nothing.”
This promise is echoed throughout the Bible. Think of Psalm 23:1, which says “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing” (NIV), or of Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:33 — “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” God is faithful to those who have faith in Him, and He cares for those who honor Him.
Verse 10 may sound a bit odd to modern ears, but in Biblical times, lions freely roamed North Africa and the Middle East. Many of the other translations of the Bible use the term “young lions” (NASB95 and NKJV) or even “strong young lions” (NLT) in place of “The lions”, but the meaning is the same — even one with great strength and abilities can fall upon hard times, showing how futile it is to rely on your own efforts without God’s support.
“Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing” means that God will provide what is beneficial and necessary to His faithful. That doesn’t mean we’re not going to live our lives without physical and emotional challenges; it does assure us that God provides us with what we need for spiritual subsistence and often physical sustenance as well.
This psalm is a reminder that fulfillment and provision are gifts from God, not from our own efforts or worldly resources.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Today’s prayer comes from Knowing Jesus:
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.