Daily Devotions

Psalm 34:8 (The Inclusive Bible)
“Taste and see how good YHWH is! Happiness comes to those who take refuge in YHWH.”

This verse is a gentle but powerful invitation: come close, draw near, and experience the goodness of God for yourself. “Taste and see” calls us to more than belief—it calls us to encounter. It’s not about observing from a distance or merely knowing about God; it’s about stepping into a relationship where His goodness can be personally known and deeply trusted.

Mark Buchanan, in The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath, makes a striking observation about the human tendency to flee from hardship:

“But what we find is that flight becomes captivity: once we begin to flee the things that threaten and burden us, there is no end to fleeing.”

In our pursuit of relief from anxiety, pain, and uncertainty, we often look for ways to escape. But escape is rarely refuge. Instead of leading us to peace, it often traps us in a cycle of restlessness.

The Hebrew word most commonly translated as “refuge” is māḥăsê—meaning shelter, protection, a safe hiding place in the midst of storm or danger. Other Hebrew words for refuge suggest a “high place,” a secure position, or even a person in whom one can confidently confide.

In modern life, we might associate such refuge with the sanctuary of counselling or therapy—a place where hearts can be unburdened, and fears named aloud. But even in the best human support, true refuge is more than emotional relief; it is spiritual rest.

Contemporary counselling speaks of the anxiety cycle: worry leads to hypervigilance, bodily tension, narrowed focus, and the desire to escape. Avoidance brings short-term relief but long-term captivity—further worry, reduced resilience, and deepened fear. The cycle tightens its grip.

Psalm 34:8 offers a different way. “Taste and see.” Step into the presence of the One who is not overwhelmed by your fears. Trust in the One who offers more than temporary comfort—He offers shelter. To “take refuge” in God is to entrust yourself to His care, to bring your whole self—anxieties, doubts, and all—and rest in His faithfulness.

This is not a passive rest. It is a relationship lived out through prayer, Scripture, worship, and obedience—a life shaped around the presence of God. It means moving from head knowledge to heart experience, from theory to testimony.

God’s goodness is not an abstract doctrine. It is food for the soul.
Taste it.
See it.
Trust it.
And find, in Him, a refuge that doesn’t lead to more fleeing—but to freedom.

Help me, dear Father, to know you better. Open my heart, dear Lord, so that I will more fully entrust myself to your care. Open my eyes to see just how gracious you are — not to impress me, but to share in your grace. Thank you for your goodness. In Jesus' name. Amen.