January 19, 2026 

Psalm 34:8 invites people into trust not through explanation, but through experience. David does not argue for God’s goodness or try to prove it with logic. Instead, he offers an invitation shaped by his own lived reality, calling others to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” The psalm flows from a place of survival and gratitude, spoken by someone who has known fear, danger, and deliverance, and who now invites others to discover God’s goodness for themselves.

Devotional: There are some things you can’t understand just by listening to someone explain them. You can hear about a place, a meal, or a relationship, but until you experience it yourself, the words only go so far. Faith works the same way. At some point, it has to move from description to encounter.

Psalm 34 doesn’t try to convince anyone that God is good. It doesn’t list reasons or build an argument. It simply offers an invitation. “Taste and see.” That language feels personal and grounded, like something said across a table rather than from a platform. David isn’t speaking as someone untouched by struggle. He writes this psalm after fear, danger, and escape. He knows what it is to be overwhelmed, and still he invites others to discover what he has experienced.

That matters because many of us assume we need certainty before trust. We want guarantees before we commit. We want to know how things will turn out before we risk hope. But David doesn’t say, “Understand and then believe.” He says, “Come close enough to try.” Faith, in this sense, is not about getting it right. It’s about being willing to engage.

This invitation feels especially gentle for those who are tired of being talked at or argued with. It respects the listener. It assumes that God’s goodness can stand on its own. David doesn’t need to pressure anyone. He trusts that if people are willing to take a step toward God, even a small one, they will encounter something real.

We still need this kind of invitation today. Many people are wary of certainty and suspicious of polished answers. What they’re often open to is honesty. They’re open to hearing, “This helped me,” or “I didn’t think I’d make it, but God met me there.” Psalm 34 reminds us that faith spreads best through shared experience, not forced agreement.

“Taste and see” assumes process. It leaves room for questions. It allows space for people to come as they are. God’s Word remains consistent in this. From David’s song to Jesus’ invitation, Scripture keeps saying the same thing: you don’t have to have everything figured out to begin. You just have to be willing to step close enough to see for yourself.

Action: This week, choose one simple way to “taste and see” rather than standing at a distance. It might be praying honestly instead of formally, reading a psalm slowly instead of rushing through it, or naming one place where you have seen goodness even in a hard season. Let faith be experiential, not performative, and allow yourself to engage without pressure.

Prayer: God, thank You for inviting us into Your goodness without requiring certainty or perfection. Help us trust You enough to draw near, even when our faith feels tentative. Meet us in small steps and quiet moments, and let us experience Your care in ways that words alone cannot express. We come to You as we are, trusting that You are good. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Thought for the Day: You don’t need certainty to follow Jesus, only the willingness to take the next small step toward Him.

Faith isn’t always about understanding first. Sometimes it’s about being willing to experience. Psalm 34 reminds us that God’s goodness is discovered when we “taste and see,” one small step at a time.