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Taste and see that the\xa0Lord\xa0is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge\xa0in him. Fear the\xa0Lord,\xa0you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the\xa0Lord\xa0lack no good thing. Psalm 34:8-10

David wrote this psalm as a song of praise for the way God delivered him from a life-threatening encounter. David could have focused on the pain of the situation or continued to fear for his life, but instead he lifts up his voice in song to the Lord in a psalm of thankfulness.

Even for David, a man after God\u2019s own heart, he experienced hardship, trials, and life-threatening situations. Time after time, David chose the high road, the righteous way, yet he still experienced these trials and tribulations.

Psalm 34 begins in an explosion of exuberance. \u201cI will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.\u201d This begs the question, what then does it mean to taste and see that the Lord is good? And what about the fear of the Lord which is brought up throughout this psalm?

I believe that the psalmist is inviting believers into a reorientation of thought and action. What would it look like to go through life with each day filled with reflection on the presence of God and God\u2019s activity in our everyday? In the things that are too mundane, or perhaps too painful, or even too far removed from the Christian life to invite Jesus into them?

I believe that as we learn to live like God is present in every aspect of our lives that our orientation slowly shifts from fear and anxiety to fear of the Lord and joy in the goodness of the deliverance and salvation God graciously gives to us in Jesus. When the righteous cry out, God hears them and delivers them from every trouble (v 17).

Psalm 34 speaks repeatedly of a person\u2019s mouth. For the praise of God (v 1). If we love life, we are to keep our tongue from speaking lies and evil (v 13). The Lord hears those who cry out to Him (v 4, 6, 15, 17). Taste and see that the Lord is good (v 8). The deliverance of God comes through relationship with God through prayer. Prayer filled with both exuberant praise and heartfelt tears. God wants us to open our mouths and talk to Him. He already knows our every need and want. And He is close to us through every moment of our lives.

This psalm reminds us also that each of us has a story to tell of the goodness of God. Whether we feel as though we have lived a ho-hum kind of life, or we\u2019ve been through giant peaks and valleys, each life holds a testimony of God\u2019s goodness. When the righteous seek the Lord, they lack no good thing. Even lions grow weak with hunger. But even though the righteous in God should go through heartbreak and troubles, when we find refuge in God, we will lack no good thing and will never be put to shame.