Psalm 34 Devotional

Goodness Worth Tasting

“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit.”Psalm 34:18 (BSB)

Psalm 34 comes from a strange moment. Its heading says David wrote it after he feigned madness before Abimelech and was sent away (34:1). It was hardly a heroic escape. Yet out of it comes one of the warmest invitations in the Psalms. David sought the LORD, and God answered and freed him from all his fears (34:4). A poor man cried out, and the LORD heard (34:6).

So David invites others to try God's goodness for themselves, the way one tastes food (34:8). That is the language of experience, not theory. He goes on to teach what a life of reverence looks like: guarding the tongue, turning from evil, seeking peace and chasing after it (34:13-14). But he never pretends the righteous are spared trouble. Their afflictions are many, and the LORD rescues them from every one (34:19). He stays close to those whose hearts are broken (34:18). A desperate man feigning madness was heard, and the humble who call on the LORD are still heard today.

To think about: Where could you take a step today to experience God's goodness for yourself rather than only hearing about it?