The Good Shepherd: Devotions Inspired by Psalm 23Sample

Trusting God’s Goodness (Taste and See that the Lord Is Good) 

By Hope Adams 

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Psalm 34:8 

When I was a child, my dad would come home every Friday night with a rented VCR and a few movies from the “video store” because Friday nights were movie night in the Carter household. I know, I know, you might be thinking, What’s a VCR?! (You can google it later!) 

Because I grew up with four brothers, most of the movies we watched were full of action with heroes and the villains they conquered—good versus evil. Sometimes, a character we grew to love and trust throughout a story turned out to be the villain in the end. So every time we sat down to watch the newest action movie, I started scrutinizing the good guys wondering, Are they really good? Can they be trusted? 

As I grew older, I found myself asking that same question in relationships—even my relationship with God. Is He truly good? Can He be trusted? I struggled with this question for years because I couldn’t understand why a good God would allow bad things to happen in my life—dreams and desires not being realized, heartbreak and disappointment in relationships, and the loss of loved ones. I wrestled with making sense of it all. 

My questioning led me to two options: allow the hurt and disappointment to build a wall in my heart, separating me from God, or go to Him with all of it. I chose the latter and began to do two important things that helped me discover His goodness:       

1. I spent time in His presence in worship. Pastor Robert teaches about God’s omnipresence that is everywhere at all times and His manifest presence where He makes Himself known to us. When I made time to worship God and be in His manifest presence, He softened and healed my heart and spoke the truth of who He is and who I am to Him.       
2. I opened my Bible and began to read about the truth of His character and nature. I discovered:       

• ... "The Lord is just! He is my rock! There is no evil in him!" (Psalm 92:15, NLT).      
• ... he is good! His faithful love endures forever (Psalm107:1, NLT).      
• The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation (Psalm 145:9, NLT). 

Every moment I spent in God’s presence and every time I read His Word, His goodness was confirmed to me over and over. King David’s words in Psalm 34:8 became my life banner: “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” The only way we “taste” or experience His goodness and really get to know Him is by spending time with Him and in His Word. And once we taste His goodness, we realize nothing else will ever satisfy or sustain us like He can! 

I’ve discovered I can’t always make sense of things that happen in my life, and I may not get all the answers I want while on earth, but I know this: my God is good, He is faithful, and His love can be trusted. Romans 8:28 (NLT) says, “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” He is good and He does good. There may be times the hand of God can seem a mystery, but I know my Father’s heart, and I know I can trust His goodness! 

PRAYER 

Father God, help me see and trust Your goodness in every area and season of my life. As I open my heart fully to You, open my eyes to the truth that You are good, You love me, and You are for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

FOR FURTHER REFLECTION      

• Take some time to think about the areas of your life where you have already seen God’s goodness displayed. Let this build your faith in trusting His goodness in other areas of your life.      
• Write down a few verses from the Bible where God promises His goodness, and put them somewhere you will see them often and can pray them over your life.

Holy Spirit, what are You saying to me today?

MEMORY VERSE

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Psalm 23:1