“8O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. 9O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. 10The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. 11Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.” (Psalm 34:8-11)
Taste and see. Matthew Henry describes this as “rolling God’s goodness under the tongue as a tasty morsel.” How do we taste? By trusting in Him. Charles Spurgeon puts it this way, “Faith is the soul's taste; they who test the Lord by their confidence always find him good, and they become themselves blessed.”
Fear the LORD. Who is to fear the Lord? We His saints are to fear Him. Why? If we do, He will supply all our need, “there is no want to them that fear him.” No want. Not any. Young lions are strong and fierce and great hunters. But even they sometimes lack what they need and go hungry, but they that Seek the LORD “shall not want any good thing.” All that we need will be supplied to us. God repeats this promise in Matthew 6:33, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” What things? See the preceding verses – what we will drink, what we will eat, what we will wear. What gives us this assurance? “Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” (Matthew 6:32)
“Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.” (Psalm 34:11) The rest of Psalm 34 goes on to teach what it means to fear the Lord. Let us give it careful study and take it to heart. Let us fear the Lord and seek Him and see if He does not pour out upon us a blessing.
“12What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? 13Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. 14Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. 15The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. 16The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. 18The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. 19Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. 20He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.* 21Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. 22The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.” (Psalm 34:12-22)
*Verse 20, a prophecy that was fulfilled at the time of Christ’s crucifixion
Turn Again to the Lord