All this month on the blog we’ve been doing a mini-study of Psalm 34 titled “Taste and See.” Here’s a recap with links to each post in our study.
Intro and Psalm 34:1-3
In this post, I give a little background information for this psalm that David penned. I also expand on the first three verses, looking for actions that David listed: Bless the Lord, Boast in the Lord, and Magnify the Lord. David said that he would “bless the Lord at all times.” Will we do likewise?
Psalm 34:4-7
David reminds us all of what to do when fear creeps in. When David feared, he made a choice of faith to seek God.
God always hears us when we cry out to Him. Our job is to make sure that we do go to Him. And when we do, we don’t have to be afraid that our prayers hit the ceiling and fall back down. Though we may not get the answer we are looking for, be certain: God hears us! He will answer in the perfect way, in the perfect time. And not only does He answer us, He also protects us.
Psalm 34:8-10
Taste. See. Engage personally and know for yourself: The Lord is good. Not the superficial good based on circumstance or perspective, but good in the wider sense. As in, when God finished creating the heavens and the earth, looked at it all and called it good (Genesis 1:31
).
David reminds us that true refuge is found in the Lord who is good.
In Him, we lack no good thing! He can be trusted because He is capable of delivering on all His promises.
Psalm 34:11-14
Do you want to love life and see good things? Worship the Lord. And how do we worship an invisible being?
David keeps it simple.
“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”Psalm 33:13-14
In other words: Mind your mouth. Discipline your doings. Living our lives to honor the Lord will help us see more goodness.
A holy life begun now will continue forever into the afterlife.
Psalm 34:15-18
The Lord’s eyes are on the righteous. When we pray and cry to God for help, He sees and listens!
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are attentive to their cry… Psalm 34:15
Seeing David in his time of need, God provided David with sustenance and protection. God defends us, delivers us, and saves us— just like He did for David! God draws near us and refreshes us with forgiveness and love when we relinquish our will for His.
Psalm 34:19-22
God is our refuge and redeemer! We know that deliverance from some of our troubles may not be seen this side of heaven, but we can be confident that God will fully deliver us from all suffering in eternity!
And in Christ, no matter how broken we may feel, God preserves us, and makes us whole. Our faith helps us to patiently endure the trials of life.
The Lord redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned. (Psalm 34:22)
Yes, though we are sinners, we can be confident that we NOT condemned, because Jesus is our refuge! Thoughtrouble is certain in this earthly life, God protects us, and redeems all our suffering.
And that is good news to “taste and see!”
Thanks for joining us this month! Please share your thoughts on this series in the comments below or in our DoNotDepart Community group on Facebook.
Blessings!
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