Psalm 34 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. (Ps. 34:8–10) I love getting an invitation, especially from someone I admire. Psalm 34 is a sacred invitation. David has been delivered from danger (see 1 Sam. 21:10–15). Unable to resist praising the Lord, he invites us to join in! He begins by blessing the Lord. He urges us to humble our hearts and rejoice in what God has done for him. He calls us to adore God along with him, and to magnify God’s greatness and goodness and power (Ps. 34:1–3). God’s goodness is too glorious for us to keep to ourselves. He hears. He cares. He answers (vv. 4–7). And that makes a difference even in our appearance (v. 5)! David goes on to welcome us into a deep personal experience with the Lord: “taste and see that the Lord is good!” (v. 8). It’s as if David is saying, “He is real to me, and I want him to be real to you—as real as your next meal!” It is impossible for God not to be good to you. He would have to “un-God” himself if he did anything that was not good. It may not feel or look good from our present viewpoint, but God will make it good in his own time and way. That means that whatever I have right now must be good, and what I don’t have, the Lord has withheld because of his goodness. “The Lord is good! . . . Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing” (vv. 8, 10) David urges us to step further in, with a teachable, childlike spirit (vv. 11–14). Do you want to know whether you fear the Lord? Ask yourself if there is any deceit or conflict in your life—in relationships, in finances, in your devotion to God. David invites us into a long life of true flourishing, lived in reverent fear before God and demonstrated through our truthful speech and pursuit of peace. Finally, David encourages us with the Lord’s tender care for his own (vv. 15–22). His ears are toward your cries (v. 15). If you can cry out, you can pray. Both the righteous and the wicked will be afflicted (vv. 19, 21), but what a difference in the outcome. Those whose pride and stubbornness have been humbled under God’s loving care will experience the nearness of the Lord (v. 18; 145:18; Isa. 57:15). They will be heard and healed, rescued and redeemed (Ps. 34:15, 17, 19, 22; 147:3; 1 Pet. 5:6–7). Our Redeemer will pay whatever price is needed to meet our needs (Ps. 34:22). But the wicked will be cut off and condemned. What an invitation! Will you say yes? The Lord is near, redeeming the life of his servants, turning even bad things into good for his own. Believe it, even amid your own struggles. “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!” #BibleStudy #VerseByVerse #Gospel #dagoodnews #follow #share #LikeFollowShare #JesusCentered #GodFirst #WordOfGod #PreachTheWord #ChristianLiving #Scripture #Faith #JesusIsLord #DaGoodNews #YouTube #Grow #LordsBook #ChristianLordsbook #ChristianFacebook #DailyDevotional #Jesus #God