“O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in Him.” (Psalm 34:8)
Not only is the thirty-fourth Psalm a poetic expression of thanksgiving, it is also a song of deliverance, a testimony to the Lord’s unwavering providence, and a summons to place all trust in Him. It is a psalm that arises from personal tribulation, penned by David at a moment of grave peril. The historical setting is found in 1 Samuel 21, where David, fleeing from Saul’s relentless pursuit, sought refuge among the Philistines in the court of Abimelech, also known as Achish. Finding himself in imminent danger, he feigned madness to escape the threat, and he was delivered. Yet, David did not attribute his survival to his own ingenuity or deception. Rather, he recognised that it was by the hand of God that he had been spared. His response was not self-congratulation but praise; his experience of divine rescue became a lesson for all generations, a call to unwavering trust in the living God.
David begins the psalm with a declaration of continuous worship: “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Psalm 34:1). These are not the words of a man who only praises when circumstances are favourable, but of one who has learned that true worship transcends the momentary conditions of life. To bless the Lord at all times means to acknowledge His sovereignty in both joy and sorrow, in safety and in distress. Many are quick to glorify God when He grants prosperity, yet the psalmist insists that even in tribulation, the name of the Lord must be extolled. Such is the mark of the one who truly knows God—not a once a week reverence, but a constant disposition of the heart.
David then proclaims, “My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.” (Psalm 34:2) The world boasts in wealth, in power, in wisdom, but the righteous boast in the Lord alone. The soul that has encountered the goodness of God can do no other than proclaim it, not for self-aggrandisement, but that others might also hear and rejoice. He then calls upon the faithful: “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.” (Psalm 34:3) Worship is not only a private act; it is communal. The Church gathers to lift its voice in praise, knowing that the Lord is enthroned upon the praises of His people (cf. Psalm 22:3).
David speaks from experience when he proclaims, “I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4) This is not an abstract theological principle but a concrete reality. The Lord hears His children; the Lord does not turn away from those who cry out to Him. The world is fraught with uncertainty, with adversities that seem insurmountable, yet St. David testifies that those who seek the Lord find deliverance—not always from suffering itself, but from the despair that suffering seeks to impose. Those who trust in Him will never be abandoned, for He is faithful to His own.
In the fifth verse, we find radiant joy: “Look to Him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed.” (Psalm 34:5) Those who place their confidence in God reflect His light. The righteous are not merely sustained; they shine with the radiance of divine favour. This brightness is not the consequence of worldly success, but of a soul illumined by grace. The countenance of the faithful is uplifted, because they stand in the presence of the Almighty.
David then provides further testimony: “This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord, and was saved from every trouble.” (Psalm 34:6) He does not claim strength of his own; he acknowledges his poverty, his absolute dependence upon God. True faith does not rely on human capability, but on divine sufficiency. The psalmist declares a wondrous truth: “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” (Psalm 34:7). Those who fear the Lord are never alone; divine protection surrounds them. The angelic host stands as a bulwark against unseen enemies, shielding the faithful from the assaults of the evil one.
Then comes the great invitation: “O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in Him.” (Psalm 34:8) This is not a call to mere intellectual assent, as if one could comprehend the Lord’s goodness through reason alone. It is an invitation to experience Him—to partake of His goodness as one partakes of a meal, nourishing the soul as food nourishes the body. Faith is not an abstract philosophy or a distant theory; it is a lived encounter with the living God.
To “taste” is to engage personally and deeply, to take in the reality of God’s presence and find it satisfying. To “see” is to perceive with clarity, to recognise His hand at work in one’s life. These are not passive actions but deliberate choices. One does not stumble into the experience of God’s goodness by accident; one must seek Him, open one’s heart, and take refuge in Him. It is in the crucible of trials that this invitation becomes most urgent and its promise most real. When afflictions press upon the soul, when darkness closes in, it is then that the sweetness of the Lord’s presence is most vividly known. The world offers no refuge that endures, no solace that truly satisfies. But those who take shelter in the Lord find themselves upheld, strengthened, and consoled. The saints and martyrs did not merely believe in the goodness of God; they tasted it in the midst of their sufferings. They saw it in the fires of persecution, in the loneliness of exile, and in the agonies of martyrdom.
Thus, St. David does not speak to the detached observer, but to the one willing to enter fully into the life of faith. The call is clear: Do not stand at a distance. Do not settle for second-hand knowledge of God’s goodness. Come, taste, and see. Take refuge in Him, and you will know a happiness the world cannot give nor take away.
The psalm then exhorts the faithful to fear the Lord, for “those who fear Him have no want.” (Psalm 34:9) It is not the powerful who are truly secure, nor the rich who are truly provided for, but those who fear the Lord. The psalmist contrasts them with the worldly: “The young lions suffer want and hunger, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” (Psalm 34:10) Even the strongest among men, symbolised by the lions, find themselves in need, but the faithful are sustained by the hand of God.
The call to righteousness follows: “Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.” (Psalm 34:11) This fear is not terror, but reverence—the posture of a heart rightly oriented toward God. It manifests in moral conduct, as the psalmist instructs: “Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:13-14)
True reverence for God is not confined to words or outward displays of piety; it is revealed in the substance of one’s life. The righteous are known not merely by what they profess, but by what they do. They walk in integrity, speak truth without compromise, reject deceit in all its forms, and actively pursue peace—not as a passive state, but as a task requiring effort, humility, and sacrifice. Their lives reflect the holiness of the One they serve, for reverence without righteousness is empty, and faith without works is dead. The Lord’s favour rests upon such people. His watchful eyes are upon them as a loving Father who sees, knows, and cares. He is never far away. His ears are open to their cries, for the righteous do not trust in their own strength but call upon Him in times of trouble. They are not exempt from suffering, but they are never abandoned. “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord rescues them from them all.” (Psalm 34:19) He is their refuge, their deliverer, their vindicator.
However, against the wicked His face is set. The Bible is clear: “The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.” (Psalm 34:16) The contrast is stark—while the righteous are watched over and heard, the wicked are cast away, their legacy erased. Those who persist in deceit, who sow discord rather than peace, who trample on truth and mock righteousness, will not stand in the presence of God. Their deeds will not endure; their names will not be honoured. The world may exalt them for a time, but the Lord Himself will bring them to nothing.
This is a sobering truth. The fear of the Lord is not sentimental, nor is it a mere emotion. It demands righteousness, for God is not indifferent to sin. To revere Him is to live in obedience to Him, and to reject Him is to face His judgment. David does not present a vague spirituality but a clear moral order—those who walk in the ways of the Lord will be upheld, but those who defy Him will be brought low. Let every soul take heed, for the eyes of the Lord are watching, and His judgment is sure.
David then assures us that the Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves those crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18) Suffering is not the end of the righteous; the Lord delivers them, though “many are the afflictions of the righteous.” (Psalm 34:19) Here, we see a foreshadowing of Christ, the Righteous One, whose suffering was redemptive. The psalm is fulfilled in Him: “He watches over all His bones; not one of them shall be broken.” (Psalm 34:20; cf. John 19:36)
The psalm concludes with a great assurance: “The Lord redeems the life of His servants; none who take refuge in Him will be condemned.” (Psalm 34:22) This is the heart of the Gospel. Those who trust in Christ, the true Refuge, will never be abandoned. The world will continue to rage, but the Lord is their deliverance. Let us then take refuge in Him, taste and see His goodness, and lift our voices in eternal praise, for He is the God who saves.
May God bless you +
Fr. Charles
24 March 2025
