(Note: Graphics are AI-generated.)

My father had a way of complimenting my mother’s cooking that always made me smile. Whenever she prepared a particularly delicious meal, he would say, “It tastes like more!” He didn’t mean the meal needed something more. He meant it was so good that he wanted another helping!

I’ve thought about that expression over the years, but recently it came to mind as I read Psalm 34:8. David writes:

“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”

What an interesting invitation! David calls us not only to acknowledge God’s goodness, but to experience it. He invites us to taste and see for ourselves.  

There’s a difference between someone describing a delicious meal and actually sitting down to enjoy it. I can read the recipe, admire the presentation, and listen to someone rave about how wonderful it tastes. But until I take that first bite, I haven’t experienced it for myself.

The same truth applies to our bond with God. I can read about His faithfulness, listen to testimonies of His goodness, and even teach others about His character. But experiencing His goodness in my own life makes it deeply personal.

And David knew something about that.

Psalm 34 wasn’t written from the comfort of an easy life. David had been frightened, threatened, and forced to flee. Yet he could testify:

“I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” (v. 4)

David doesn’t say God kept him from ever being afraid. He says God met him in his fear. And later he writes:

“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” (v. 18)

That’s a different kind of goodness, isn’t it? It’s not necessarily the goodness of getting everything we want, but the goodness of discovering that God is near when life hurts.

I’ve tasted that goodness. I’ve experienced prayers answered in ways I never anticipated. I’ve also experienced seasons when the answers didn’t come as I hoped. And looking back, I can see His faithfulness even in circumstances I wouldn’t have chosen.

David doesn’t promise us a trouble-free life. In fact, he says quite the opposite:

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.”(v. 19)

A trouble-free life does not define God’s goodness. I am learning that His love remains constant, even when circumstances change. It’s revealed in His presence, His faithfulness, and His ultimate deliverance.

Which brings me back to my father. When he pushed back from the dinner table and declared, “It tastes like more!” he was expressing something simple: What he had enjoyed made him want another helping.

And I wonder if that shouldn’t be our response to God’s goodness. The more I experience His faithfulness, the more I want to trust Him. The more I discover His mercy, the more I want to know Him. The more I taste His goodness, the more I want to walk closely with Him. When we taste the Lord’s goodness, we discover He always leaves you wanting more—not because He is insufficient, but because He is inexhaustible.

Dad, I think you were right. It tastes like more!