Taste and See (Psalm 34)

Good morning everyone. My name is Dirk and it's been a

hot minute since I've been able to preach.

But it's good to be with you. This morning in the summer

season this August. It'll be three years.

Since we've moved to Des Moines and doing friends here, so

that's gone by. Really, really quickly.

I also lead a. Community group alongside my

wife Emily and they both do worship so probably see me in

some capacity. And yeah, one thing to know.

About Cool sabbatical I. I really want to give the

pastoral team just a really word of encouragement.

Just how? I don't know.

Just. Historically, you guys have.

Given him rest when it's needed. Or even proactively.

And so thank you to the team to to.

Lead. While he's gone and.

Lead well while he's. In the pulpit and here working

during the week so So we're doing psalms for the.

Next few weeks. And Cole just really tossed it

out to Will and Carlos and myself.

As far as what? You what we wanted to do and.

Basically what I did. I took my.

Bible that I've had. Since really through my 20s and

you can kind of tell. And I looked up.

Basically all the psalms that had the most highlights and.

And it's not superficial, it's. You know those these are Psalms.

That have. The gods used to minister to me

through my 20s, now into my. 30s and they've always.

Been. Deep wells where?

I'm able to to find comfort and enjoy anytime I I read through

them. So we're going to be in Psalm 34

this morning. So we're just going to stand and

read it and jump right in. So stand if you're able.

We'll have it on the screen and I'll.

Read it here if you have your Bible that's.

Awesome too. Psalm 30. 4 I will bless the

Lord at all. Times His praise shall

continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the

Lord. Let the humble, the humble hear

and be glad, O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his

name. Together I sought the.

Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall

never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the

Lord heard him and saved him out.

Of all his troubles. The Angel of the Lord encamps

around those who fear Him and delivers.

Them. Oh, taste and see.

That the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who takes

refuge in him. O fear the Lord.

You, his Saints, for those who fear him, have no lack.

The Young Lions suffer want and hunger.

But those who seek the Lord. Lack no good thing.

Come O children, listen to me. I will teach you the fear of the

Lord. What man is?

There, who desires? Life and loves many days that he

may see good. Keep your tongue from evil and

your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do.

Good. Seek peace.

And pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are toward

the righteous. And his.

Ears toward their cry, the face of the Lord.

Is against. Those who do evil.

To cut off the memory of them from the earth when the

righteous cry. For help the Lord.

Hears and delivers them out. Of all their troubles.

The Lord is near to the broken hearted and saves the crushed in

spirit. Many are the afflictions of the

righteous. But the Lord delivers.

Him out of them all he keeps all his bones.

Not one of them is broken. Affliction will slay the wicked

and those who. Hate the righteous.

Will be condemned. The Lord redeems the.

Life of his. Servants, none of those who take

refuge in him will be condemned. This is the word of the Lord.

And have a seat. So there's a lot of good.

Stuff in this Psalm I'm not going to go.

Verse by verse going to really be.

Hitting on a theme. You can spend a lot of time in

this Psalm hitting every verse. There's a lot.

Of really good things, but don't have time for that.

So what I'm going to do is basically.

Just provide. Context.

Dig in and wrap up. So.

It's like most of the Psalms. You have David as the author.

This is no exception. And David's writing these Psalms

through different, you know, different chapters of his own

life. Through good.

Moments, bad moments and and everything in between.

And this Psalm was written in the earlier half of his.

Life so for his. Kind of a nutshell story, David,

as most of us knows, but if we're kind of unfamiliar with

him back in the Old Testament in First Samuel chapter 16.

1 Samuel 16 · chapter mention

God calls David to be the future.

King anoints him to be king. Now before that, in Genesis, you

had the. Patriarchs you had.

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You then have the judges, and

then the time of the kings. And so Saul was the first king,

did some good things and then messed up some things and was

eventually. Rejected by God, although He

still kept that. Title and kept the throne.

Then God called David, Samuel anointed him, and then right.

After that you have the Goliath story.

And then what you see right after that is this turn of

events where. Saul grows.

Jealous of David because here you have this young guy coming

up and people are saying so much more about David than Saul and

so he. Grows jealous.

So jealous that. He wants David murdered now,

what we often overlook when we read through.

Scripture, especially the old. Testament and New Testament to

to some degree. Is we we lose.

Kind of the the length of time that happens unless.

It straight up says. This amount of time.

Passed SO. Saul is pursuing David to kill

him and David is on the run for what some people estimate

upwards of 10 to 15 years. It's not a couple months, years

and he's he's living in caves. He's.

Fearing for his life, he's on the run and I think this sets an

example for us. I don't know about you, but I

know for me. It's it's a level.

Of stress and anxiety that we can't comprehend or or maybe not

even familiar with. Like my my level of extreme

stress during a day is when my kids are talking to me at the

same time and I can't understand what anyone's saying.

David's waking up. Every day.

Knowing people are trying to murder me.

Today for. Thousands of days and his

response to God in this Psalm is not.

Where are you God that that's? Definitely in other psalms.

Don't, don't, don't get him wrong.

He definitely expresses that. But in this Psalm it's

different, and I and I think in this Psalm he has.

A clear perspective, like God has.

Given him. Unobstructed view over his.

Life and his situation. He says in verse one no knowing

what he is going through. He says, I will bless the Lord.

At all times he's worthy of my praise.

While I'm being hunted, he's worthy of my praise.

I will not stop praising him. Let the humble.

Hear it, let those who are aware of their.

Brokenness and aware of their their needs.

Hear it? Verse 3.

And it overflows, not. Just to I will do this but he.

Then says to everyone. Or the reader.

O magnify the Lord with me, join me in this.

Praise and what he's. Doing here, he's going now

through his experience. He's not just giving these

platitudes. He's not just saying, oh, this

is a good magnet, It's a. It's a good tattoo.

Idea. He's saying this is my life.

Verse 4I sought. Him and he answered me, and he

delivered me. Verse 5 Those who look to.

Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.

And so. That that's really.

A kind of a connecting thread to Moses.

Where? God allows him to see his

backside when he walks by Moses, and Moses comes down from the

mountain with his face glowing and he has to have a.

Veil over his face because he saw God's glory.

And it was too much. For people to take.

In but he's saying the same way for himself and for God's.

People. To look to Him, you will become

radiant, you will never be ashamed because you have beheld

the best thing, God Himself. I cried out to him.

And he heard me. He saves me out of my troubles.

He his. Presence encamps around me.

He will. Deliver me.

Those who fear him have no lack. And are well satisfied.

Now see he he unpacks. This first bit.

This is who God is. This is my story.

He has answered me. And we can think in our

situation, seems like a bit of a disconnect, like I'm going

through some stuff. I know you went through some

stuff, David, but I'm going through some stuff right now.

And I don't feel that he's not omitting brokenness.

He's not omitting grief and struggles.

Go to verse 18. The Lord is near.

To the broken hearted, he saves the crushed.

In spirit, he's saying that because.

He has lived that. Many are the.

Afflictions of the righteous. But the Lord delivers him out of

them all, so he's not saying that drawing near to God means.

It gets rid. Of tough seasons it gets rid of.

Grief because those. Things are still going to

happen. Grief will still happen.

Tragedies will still. Happen.

But the Lord. Will redeem it.

The Lord will be. Present in it.

And so that brings us to, I think, the.

The crux, the core of this passage.

And not just to read about. David's life, but his his call

to you, his call to us. This morning to call to any.

Believer who has ever. Read the song Oh Taste and see.

That the Lord is. Good taste and see.

He's he's. Pleading with us here, he's

saying, let my life bear witness to you I'm in a.

Bad situation. I don't know if I'm going to

live now. I know the Lord has anointed me

to be king, to be king. I don't know what tomorrow's

going to bring. Like do you think he's?

At least an ounce frustrated that he's been anointed and he's

living in a cave. He's been on the run for years,

and probably a handful more. Years after that, absolutely.

Psalm 42, he's saying my tears have been my food day and night.

Sorrowful, but his, his, his. Train of thought here his flow

and Psalm 34 is more of. A desperate, but why would I?

Leave him who has given me so much.

Why would I leave safety? Why would I leave the place?

Where I'm not ashamed, The place where I don't have condemnation

in his presence, he's saying this is who?

God is his character. This.

Is what he has done in my life. This is what he will do.

In your life, believer and this. Is what he will.

Do over and over again, and so the call.

For us today is that practice. Of tasting and seeing.

That God is good. It's pursuing God himself and

with that there is like a genuine experience.

And now we're not in a sense chasing like the mountaintop

experience. We are pursuing God because we

know that. Ultimately, he has pursued.

Us, and he's still pursuing us in order to do that.

He's David. Saying that you need to be.

Aware of your. Brokenness and your deep need.

Let the humble. Hear it.

He's aware. In a cave, Spears being thrown

at him, where the challenge for us is we're in comfort.

I mean, it's not that cold in here.

I'm still kind of sweating a bit, but we're surrounded with

comforts. He's missing days.

Without food. But that doesn't mean it's

impossible for us. And So what?

You have to do is you have to. Be honest with yourself and

what's happening and I and I know from my experience as a

corn fed Iowa raised. Boy.

You figure things out. Just got to figure it out.

You don't always. Share your struggles.

You don't. Always ask for help.

And sometimes you're not always honest.

With yourself because it causes you to to pause, to have to to

stop. Working.

Stop doing things. It's a practically like what you

just have to. Do if you're feeling this and as

you go through these things in the future, but if you're in

this right now. Like get paper.

Out and write down. Write down how you feel.

Sit with God. And write it out.

Write it out that you. Feel let down that you feel

angry, that you feel confused, that you feel jealous because it

seems. Everybody else in your

community. Is is getting blessed but me?

Other people have. Families that have it figured

out, does that sound like some Psalms?

Does that sound like Pink David's written?

Yeah, I I had to do. This myself three years ago, May

of 22, I was doing starting my own sabbatical and I took a nap,

had a cabin just me. I woke up and God really

prompted me to write it out. Write down what I was feeling

and a couple lines just turn into.

A couple pages. And listing out memory after

memory of, of brokenness, of fears of sin, struggles and, and

it took a really hard moment where I, I sat there and I saw

20 years of my life with deep anxiety issues that I, I.

Really. Had not seen before and that's

horrifying to see, but I knew. That it was that all that.

Happened was for healing, not for condemnation.

And what? Followed with that was.

God reminding me of His promises to meet me in those struggles.

And so back to you, writing. This out write out.

What's wrong? Write out the grief.

Write out the struggles. Right next to each one, counter

it with God's promises and it doesn't take that hard.

Go through just this Psalm alone.

Let this Psalm. Speak to your life, speak to

your struggles. Go through Ephesians 1 because

every spiritual blessing in heaven has been given to you.

Every blessing and where? Some of the promises.

Are pretty big and where we have to.

You know, come to terms with some things that we we may not

see that fulfilled promise in on the side of heaven, but it will

come right when when we. Talk about.

Healing when I've talked with people and prayed.

With people. About healing the.

The the, the big. Understanding.

And I asked. For God to heal people of of

whatever it may be. In that moment, because I know

that he can do it in God's response to to that is not yes

or no, it's. Yes, or wait that.

Healing that, restoration that whatever it may be for you, what

you need. We do ask that.

God would bring healing to it, restoration to that, on this

side of heaven, when we pray for it, when we go.

To each other for for prayer. But it's never no if it's in

line with the gospel. The answer?

To it is yes. Or maybe later soon.

David says. Join me in this pursuit.

Magnify the Lord with me and it's not just a one and done

where he says this in Psalm 34 and then he moves on with it,

moves on from it for the. Rest of his life we get a

really, really graphic picture. In Second Samuel 6, I'm not

going to pull it up. You can bookmark that, but what

happens is eventually David does become king, and there's this

process where we're bringing the Ark of the Covenant into

Jerusalem and for the entire. Path of what?

Is a very lengthy journey, many many miles.

Every six steps. They sacrifice an ox.

So basically you. Sacrifice an ox, which is a

pretty big animal. Go 6 steps which.

Is pretty much from. But to face slaughter?

Another one go again and again and again for miles.

That's a lot of blood, and that's also the the the part.

Where he's dancing and and praising God and his.

His wife's like. Kind of belittling that and

there's judgement on her after that, but that that's that whole

scene. That.

He is so overflowing. With praise because.

He knew where he came from, like he knew.

The trials the. Tribulations that he's gone

through and he knew in then in those times that God would

deliver him and now he's in. The Deliverance.

Free, overflowing with praise, blood covering the entire.

Path back to Jerusalem. Blood on himself and he says

join me in that now the connection with.

That is this because? We're not going to do that and

we're for us on this side of. The cross is Jesus says.

That's a picture, a parallel. Of what I've done.

For you the path. To home is paved in.

Blood with a sacrifice. One sacrifice, one time.

You don't. Have to keep.

Doing it. His blood paves away.

In your suffering it. Paves away in your.

Grief. That's that's the true.

Redemption. That's the the.

True deliverance that that David's.

Talking about that. For those who.

Are in Christ. Because of his sacrifice.

The shame gone. The condemnation?

Gone. And think about it this way.

David had the anointing of being the future king over Israel, and

he knew. God would do it.

God would make it so it's different for us because.

What we've been given is the anointing of being God's.

Children that's present, that's. Right now that's walking with

Jesus in this life. It's Romans 8 what Paul says

the. Spirit of adoption.

By whom we. Cry, O ABBA father.

That's an anointing we don't have to wait for.

But why? Why does?

Why does David use the word taste that that?

Language and if you think about. It taste is.

A unique sense. They're all unique, which is why

there's different senses, but it's unique because one, it

relies on smell for the full experience.

But taste requires. Nearness.

It requires proximity. It requires being close to

something, touching it, consuming it, right?

Because you can see and hear from a distance.

But what's also unique with taste?

Is we have. Insatiable.

Appetites, right? Like we, we have a desire.

For quantity and quality. Right, we have a.

Desire for quantity, right? Because we.

Eventually just have to. Keep eating right.

We had breakfast. Most of us, we had, we're going

to have. Lunch.

We have, supper we're going to have snack and repeat, repeat,

repeat. But we also want an experience,

right? We want that dopamine hit.

There's a big difference between a frozen Jack's pizza and

Giordano's. There's an experience.

And it's also good. How many of you don't like

Indian food? But I love Indian food.

It's so complex, there's so many spices.

Like how can you create all this flavor?

With just a couple pinches of whatever they put in it.

It's really good. Stains my.

Clothes, but it's really good. But the appetite, The physical

appetite. Is also spiritual it's it's

connected right we. See, we see that in scripture

where? The eyes of your heart have been

enlightened like like God taps on all the senses, has a way of

connection with Him because we hunger for more.

And of course, for my sermon. Here's CS.

Lewis, he says. If I find in myself.

A desire for which? No experience in this world can.

Satisfy the most. Probable explanation is that.

I was made. For another world.

Because we have to keep eating. And can never be.

Fully satisfied it's a. Sign that we were.

Made. For another world.

We were. Made for something more right?

Hunger, right? And hunger isn't the issue.

That's a good thing. But The thing is, what are we

consuming? Right, like we.

Become what we behold, we when we consume of something that's

not God, we become more like that thing we become more like.

Our kids, which that's great. We become more like broken

things. But here you have.

Jesus in the Gospel saying. That.

That I'm the living water and anyone who who drinks of this

will never. Be thirsty again.

That I'm the bread. Of life he's.

Tapping into that, he's showing that there's something deeper

that's going to satisfy us more than just bread, more than just

water. So David says taste.

And see how. How do we do that so so.

Real practical. I don't know.

I think it is, it's practical and it's good and, and this is

really just a a insight to my own life that to taste and see

we need to step into and grow in.

Habits of gratitude, right? Whether that's something that

you're journaling out and and that's really helpful, but.

Also with people like it's really it's.

Letting people into your life and and praising God.

For what he's provided. For and what he's given to you

in your life and. What you look?

To Him for gratitude, that's magnifying the Lord.

Together. Right when you do that, it

doesn't give room for lies. It it.

Pushes those things. Out it releases those.

Things and it takes in. Beauty it takes.

In Majesty. Of God, honestly, that that's

right now. Like that's how we help our

kids. Learn how to pray.

What are you thankful for today, buddy?

Dinosaurs cool. Snacks.

Cool. But what's really sweet about

that? And it's a parallel when Emily

and I do that with them. It it develops.

A bond between the parent and the child so that we're seen as

a. Safe place which is a.

Minor reflection of when they get feet and run in prayer.

With God where Jesus is their safe place.

Where they don't have shame. Where they don't have

condemnation? Where?

They taste and see that's what parenting is.

We're just training them for that.

I have. Worship written down.

That's pretty self-explanatory. It's hand in hand with

gratitude. It's gratitude expressed.

In song and in the beautiful thing when we're doing that,

whether alone or with. People there are those.

Transcendent moments that it's not.

It's not a chord progression. It's not.

How? Great the singer is.

Although you guys are great, it's it's those.

Special moments where? It just feels like like God is

just more. Present for some reason.

Where it's so explicitly beautiful and we get.

To experience it. Together, that we.

Get to taste and. See his goodness and.

I mean, in a little bit here, we're going to do communion.

Together like I. Don't know how practical.

We can get other than. You're taking bread in wine.

And tasting. Tasting.

And seeing his goodness. Tasting of his sacrifice, of his

body and his bloodshed. And seeing his goodness.

That it would be a. Special moment of us getting to.

Do that together. And I'm not going to preach on

that. I'll let MC do that.

But enclosed I want, I want to share this.

I I need this Psalm for myself today.

I picked it a few weeks ago. Thinking that's a great song and

then some things. Have occurred.

In my extended family, my immediate family and me and the

kids, we're doing good. But in my extended family.

We have to have a. Very difficult conversation

tonight. And so it's been weighing on me

significantly because I have. To lead.

This conversation, and it's most likely a conversation that all

of us. Will have to do.

So. It's God's timing I need to.

Believe David's words. I need to believe.

God's promises for myself. And so I need to.

Practically apply this. I have to be honest with my.

Situation I. Have to be honest.

With how I feel what's happening in the the hurt, the grief, but

God says this those who. Look to him.

Are radiant their faces? Shall never be ashamed.

I sought the Lord and. He answered me and delivered me.

This poor man cried, and the Lord heard me.

Those who seek the Lord. Lack no good thing.

The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous.

In his. Ears toward their cry, the

righteous cry for. Help and the Lord.

Hears he delivers them out of their troubles.

He's near to the broken hearted and he.

Saves the crushed. In spirit, many are the

afflictions of the righteous. But the Lord delivers them out.

Of them all. So taste and see that's my plead

to you this morning, whether you need to do some of that this

morning with God or a friend or a loved one to to.

For you to be. Their strength alongside them

and take them to the Lord in. Prayer, let's do business.

In that. Let's pray, Lord, we.

We come before you. And for those.

Of us in this room. That just feel the weight would

our. Cries line up.

With David's cries would we? Would our hearts cry out?

For relief, for healing. For restoration, would we see

your response? Would we know your presence more

deeply? More closely.

God, we want to taste and see your goodness make it so.

Would they taste and see your goodness for the first?

Time this morning for anyone who's felt.

Dry for a season, for years. Would they taste and see newly

again? Refresh our souls?

Bring water onto dry ground you said you make.

A way in the desert. Would you do that, God?

Would you supply everything that we lack We.

Come with open hands, open mouths.

To feed. Feed us God.

Quench our thirsts. Would you?

Do a mighty. Work in this church.

In this body this morning, anyone?

Under the sound of my voice.