Friday, February 19, 2010

The Taste of Honey (Number 46 in a series)

“How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:103-105, KJV

Most of us know the last part of this passage very well. It is a beloved memory verse. I remember saying it during daily assembly for Vacation Bible School as part of the pledge of allegiance to the Bible. The rest of the passage caught me by surprise.

I was reading my way to verse 105 to get the punctuation correct for a lighthouse project I was doing. Surely I’ve read this chapter in its entirety before. After all, I’ve been through several “through the Bible in a year” reading plans and Bible studies based on the Psalms. Yet this time it struck me with fresh impact.

Sweeter than the taste of honey! What a way to describe God’s Word. When the news is filled with bitter information, when the people we encounter offer acid comments, how wonderful to taste the sweetness of His Words, the wealth of His Promises. All sorts of artificial sweeteners exist out there, fake sweetness with no nutritive value. God’s Word is the sweetness of Truth, the nourishment our soul craves.

When was the last time you tasted the sweetness of God’s Word? Beyond the printed page, there are audio Bibles, emailed devotions, internet Bible sites. I’ve seen advertisements for the Bible on DVD to read on your television. We are blessed to live in a world where technology can be used to deliver God’s Word in many ways. Find a way that works for you and use it. Feed daily on His teachings.

Father, thank you for the sweetness of Your Word, for the soul-feeding goodness You offer us there. Keep us always hungry for more of Your teachings. Lead us to the table of learning that we may draw closer to You through Your words.

©2010 Mary Beth Magee

No comments: