Day 2 – Tasting God’s Goodness

It’s one thing to know about God’s goodness; it’s another to experience it.

As we walk through our PRAYER rhythm today, let each step be a way of tasting God’s goodness.

P| Pause

As I begin, I pause to be still. I choose to breathe deeply. I turn my whole attention toward the love and presence of God praying, “God of goodness, quiet my heart and open my eyes today. Help me become aware of your presence, the gifts of Your love woven into my life. Let gratitude rise within me and trust deepen as I rest in Your goodness. Amen.”

R| Reflect

Why does tasting God’s goodness matter? Because love that never moves beyond knowledge becomes stale. We can study God’s love, learn about who God is, and still miss the joy of actually experiencing that love for ourselves. Psalm 34 doesn’t say, “Read about the Lord’s goodness”; it says, “Taste and see.” It’s an invitation to encounter, not just observe.

We can study and sing about God’s goodness, even memorize verses describing it. Yet there is a world of difference between hearing about sweetness and tasting it yourself. Words can stir curiosity, but the taste changes you. When we taste God’s goodness, our faith becomes personal. The sweetness lingers and reshapes how we experience everything else.

Centuries ago, a Christian teacher named Bernard of Clairvaux wrestled with this very question: Do I love God for who God is, or only for what God gives me? In his book On the Love of God, he described three stages of love. The first is loving ourselves for our own sake, caring for our own needs. The second is loving God because we need God, because God forgives, provides, and heals. But Bernard pointed to a third, deeper love: loving God simply for who God is. That is what Psalm 34 calls us to when it says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”

Loving God for who God is means allowing God’s character, not just God’s gifts, to shape our affection. It is learning to delight in God’s kindness, beauty, faithfulness, and mercy even when our circumstances don’t immediately change. It is enjoying God’s presence without needing God to prove anything. It is trusting God’s heart before we see the outcome. This is the love Bernard described: a love rooted not in what God does for us, but in who God is.

When we learn to love God for who God is, our relationship deepens into joy. Following Jesus shifts from duty to delight, from obligation to overflow. We forgive because we have tasted forgiveness. We serve because we have experienced Christ’s service. We pray, not to perform, but because we are responding to the Spirit’s gentle voice.

God’s goodness moves from theory to experience, from information to transformation. We do not just know about God; we begin to know God personally. Once you have tasted that kind of sweetness, you will find yourself longing for more. That longing is not restlessness; it is love growing deeper, drawing you closer to the presence of God.

A| Ask

· Do I love God mainly for what God gives me, or am I learning to love God for who God is?

· How might my relationship with God look different if I enjoyed His presence the way I enjoy time with a close friend?

Y| Yield

I choose to yield and turn my heart toward God’s love by praying,

“Jesus, let me taste Your goodness in new ways.

Draw me beyond secondhand faith.

Teach me to delight in Your presence, to love You for who You are,

not only for what You give.

Amen.”

E| Exercise

To taste God’s goodness, slow down and take a deep breath. Recall moments of God’s kindness, such as beauty that stirs gratitude, a conversation that lifted your spirit, or strength that carried you through. Write these down and add this practice to your Sabbath guide.

R| Rest

Rest in the sweetness of who Jesus is. Let His presence sustain you today.

“Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.” (Psalm 34:8–10, NLT)

Deeper Reflection

Questions for You or Your Group

1. What part of Psalm 34:8–10 stood out most to you today?
2. What is the difference between knowing about God and knowing God personally?
3. Can you share a time when you felt you “tasted” God’s goodness for yourself?
4. What daily experiences help you notice God’s goodness?
5. What is one way we can encourage each other to taste and see God’s goodness this week?

Talk It Over