Taste and See that Yahweh is Good

Learning to Trust God in Every Circumstance

Sermon Outline: Taste and See that Yahweh is Good

Instruction by Personal Example
Instruction from Personal Experience
Instruction by Personal Exhortation
Instruction in the Fear of Yahweh

Scripture List:

Worship Song List:

Rejoice
How Majestic is Your Name
God is So Good
Taste and See
10,000 Reasons
Teach Me, O LORD, I Pray

Learning to Trust God in Every Circumstance

David, fleeing for his life, found himself in desperate straits. Yet out of affliction, he penned Psalm 34, calling all to “taste and see that Yahweh is good.” His words remind us that God’s goodness is not abstract but experienced, even in the darkest valleys. This psalm instructs us by example, experience, exhortation, and reverence—leading us to trust God fully. Today, we are invited to rejoice in His goodness and fear Him rightly, no matter our circumstances.

An Invitation to Trust

Psalm 34 is David’s song of deliverance after escaping King Achish. Instead of despair, David responds with worship, calling others to magnify Yahweh with him. His testimony teaches us that true refuge is found in God alone.

Taste and See

The psalm invites us not just to believe abstractly but to taste and see the goodness of Yahweh. This is experiential faith—knowing by trust and obedience that God provides, protects, and sustains His people.

Fear of the Lord

David shifts from experience to instruction: the fear of Yahweh leads to life. Reverence, obedience, and dependence on God result in blessing. The call is clear—those who fear Him lack no good thing.

Christ Our Refuge

Ultimately, Psalm 34 points forward to Christ, who delivers His people fully. In Him, the brokenhearted are healed, the guilty find forgiveness, and those in Christ find no condemnation.

Key Verses and Commentary

Psalm 34:8 – “Taste and see that Yahweh is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” — This verse is the heartbeat of the psalm—experiential trust in God’s goodness.
Psalm 34:18 – “Yahweh is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” — God draws close in affliction, proving His goodness in suffering.
Romans 8:1 – No condemnation for those in Christ—fulfillment of the refuge promised.
Colossians 2:13-14 – Christ cancels our debt, showing the ultimate goodness of God in salvation.

Key Words

Taste: Experiencing God’s goodness personally, not merely acknowledging it.
See: Perceiving God’s faithfulness by faith and evidence.
Refuge: A safe place of trust in God amid trials.
Fear of Yahweh: Reverence, awe, obedience to God that leads to wisdom.
Brokenhearted: Those crushed under sin or suffering, to whom God draws near.

Key People

David: The psalmist, who, though fleeing in fear, models trust in God.
Yahweh: The covenant-keeping God who rescues, provides, and redeems His people.
Christ (fulfillment): The true refuge and Savior, in whom God’s goodness is fully revealed.

From David’s Cave to Christ’s Cross

David’s call to taste and see God’s goodness was rooted in his own deliverance. Yet this psalm finds its highest fulfillment in Christ, who is the bread of life and living water. What David knew in part, believers today know in fullness—God’s goodness displayed in the cross and resurrection. For the original audience, this was a call to trust Yahweh as refuge; for us, it is a summons to rest in Christ, our ultimate refuge.

Message to Original Audience

Trust Yahweh as deliverer in times of affliction.
Fear Him with reverence and obedience.
Seek refuge in Him, not in human strength.
Praise Him continually, even in hardship.

Applications for Believers Today

Praise continually: Worship God in every circumstance.
Trust experientially: Taste and see—walk in obedience and watch God provide.
Fear rightly: Live in reverent awe, knowing God blesses His people.
Rest in Christ: He is the fullness of God’s goodness and our true refuge.
Encourage others: Share your testimony of God’s goodness with fellow believers.

The Goodness of God Experienced

Psalm 34 calls us to more than belief—it calls us to taste and see Yahweh’s goodness. David, delivered from fear, found refuge in God and invites us to do the same. Today, in Christ, we find God’s goodness displayed fully: forgiveness for sin, nearness in suffering, and eternal refuge. Let us magnify the Lord together, rejoicing in His goodness that never fails.

Psalm 34 “Taste and See that Yahweh is Good”