How to Taste and See God's Goodness: Practical Ways for Your Family to Experience God's Presence and Notice His Daily BlessingsSample

Have you heard of the Invisible Gorilla Experiment?

In this psychology study, participants watch a video and count basketball passes. During the video, a person in a gorilla suit walks through, beats their chest, and strolls off. Surprisingly, about half the viewers never see the gorilla!

Why? Their attention was focused elsewhere.

This happens in life too, doesn't it? Between managing work and homework, preparing meals, and shuttling kids to activities, we can miss God's goodness right in front of us—not because He's absent, but because our attention is scattered in a dozen different directions.

David didn't just talk about tasting God's goodness. He also said we can see it. But just like with the experiment, your ability to see is limited by where you place your attention.

You're finite. When you focus on one thing—like that mounting pile of laundry or tomorrow's presentation—you naturally pull focus from something else.

When you fix your gaze on problems, pressures, or trying to handle everything in your own strength, you may completely miss what God is doing right before your eyes.

That’s why this idea of seeing God’s goodness—especially in hard moments—matters so much.

We find encouragement in Psalm 27, another heartfelt psalm from David. We don’t know the exact situation, but we know David was in deep distress. He writes about war, fear, betrayal, and enemies surrounding him. Yet in the midst of it, he talks again about God as his refuge, and about seeking to see God’s face. David also makes this stunning declaration:

“Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:13–14, NLT)

David didn't believe he had to wait until heaven to see God's goodness—he anticipated it in his lifetime. Even in pain. Even in confusion. Even in the messy middle of life.

You can too.

Here's what to do:

Look for Him.

Pay attention to evidence of His goodness.

Practice noticing God in the room.

And here’s the best part: you don’t do this alone.

You’re not left to your own strength or sight. You get to partner with God as He opens your eyes to see Him more clearly.

You’ve already experienced this:

• Scripture says we receive salvation because God opens our eyes to turn from darkness to light.
• We notice the beauty of the Bible because He reveals its wonder to us.
• We grasp the hope of the gospel because God opens the eyes of our hearts.

God is already in the business of helping you see. Ask Him to help you see even more.

Because when the Invisible Gorilla becomes the Invisible God Experiment in my daily life, I can understand why I miss Him sometimes:

• I’m too focused on what’s urgent instead of what’s eternal.
• I keep track of my frustrations more than His faithfulness.
• I forget to pause. To notice. To look.

But God is kind.

He doesn't shame us for missing Him. He simply invites us to look again and experience Him more fully. And the more we taste and see of God and His goodness, the more our longing for Him will grow.

Kid Connection: Ask This

"Did you know that some people watched a video with a gorilla in it but didn't even see the gorilla?” (Or google the experiment and play the video without giving away the ending.)

“What are some ways we can pay better attention to the good things God does every day? What's something good you noticed today?"

Tomorrow, we'll discover how to recognize God's goodness even in our most challenging moments.