Devotionals for the Heart: Reasons why God's Word is sweeter than honey

Sweeter than Honey
A devotional by Kerry Sue Teravskis

“They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.”—Psalm 19:10 (NIV)

The weather was perfect. Not too hot, slightly breezy, and wispy clouds floating across the sky.

A patch of volunteer purple and white larkspur, delightful as these self-propagate; bring joy and provide seeds for next year, wave in the breeze, near our patio and walkway to the barn. It was just the right spot to enjoy them for the month they are in bloom.

While sitting in a chair on the lawn one particular morning, I began to take in my surroundings. Glancing over to the larkspur patch and I noticed three large bumblebees. These seemingly too-heavy-to-fly black and yellow balls of fluff and wings were weaving in and out of the blossoms. Because of their enormous size, each time they dipped into a blossom to gather nectar, the entire stem would bend over.

They would linger just a moment to gather the sweetness of provision and move on to the flower next door. On and on they went. Methodical, peaceful, intentional. One after another, and even crisscrossing each other. They drank in and kept going.

David wrote that God’s Word is sweeter than honey. This verse was flittering through my mind as I watched those bumblebees. Do I devour Scripture like they devour nectar?

Do I bury my face and even my whole body, into the Word of God, savor it and move onto another passage and do the same? Do I stay in the same patch of flowers, so to speak, so I gain all the goodness of God which awaits me? Do I recognize everything I need can be found in Jesus?

Let’s read John 6:68 (NLT), “Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.”

The disciples were onto something. Crowds were everywhere, temptations abounded, doubt was real. But they went to Jesus Christ, the Author of their newfound faith. Peter stated they believed (John 6:69) in God’s Son (Jesus), so why would they go anywhere else?

Why would they go to another patch of flowers, so to speak, if what they needed was right in front of them? So true.

Those bumblebees stayed and are still there as I write this devotional. They continue to drink in the sweet nectar of God’s provision for them. It’s as if they can’t get enough, so they linger. The disciples chose to do the same. The leaders of Judaism questioned them and Jesus, but these men knew in Whom to believe, so they fiercely held on to Him.

What about you and your circumstances? Are you drinking in from the Word of God every day, or do you fly by, hoping to grab a snack? Does your walk with Jesus feel without flavor or sweetness? Are you finding it to be true that when you do not pray, thank, and give your worries over to God, peace is elusive?

Let’s read Philippians 4:6 (NLT): “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

Worry robs us. It’s as if we left the door of our heart open so worry does not even have to struggle with the lock or dead bolt. We give it easy access, and then don’t fight back. We get paralyzed, even more fearful, and instead of taking every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5), we begin wringing our hands in earnest. We buzz around–flitting from one thing to another.

May I make a suggestion?

Stop.

Be at rest.

Do what you are made to do, which is to worship God and Him only. The bumblebee is meant to drink deeply of flowers, gather pollen from that flower to spread it to the next, thereby pollenating other flowers for future crops. It does not do anything else. No worry, no pretending to be a bird, a cat nor mankind. It does not fret about tomorrow, nor the next minute.

It peacefully and slowly zooms into one blossom, drinks deeply, then casually moves on. And on. And on. Endlessly.

Can we take a lesson in this? Can we learn God’s Word is indeed sweeter than honey? It is our daily bread. It sustains us and gives us hope, and more importantly, points us to God our Father.

Let’s Pray: Father God, I need You and only You. I want to find my rest, my hope and my daily bread in You. Please forgive me for getting distracted, giving up or not even trying to begin with. Help me Lord, to go to You first, be in Your Word, to be thankful, give You my cares, and trust You. May Your peace wash over me, as You promised. I will hold onto You and believe. In the Name of Your Son, Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “To Worship You I Live” by Israel & New Breed. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

As a wife and Marmee to three adult children and one brand new daughter-in-love, Kerry Sue’s life is very full. She met her husband in college and served in the mission field with him for a few years before settling down back in the United States of America to raise their family.

Kerry Sue’s family was a homeschooling family for 20 years and they enjoyed it immensely. For the last 23 years they have lived on a small farm in Northern California where they have raised many farm animals, along with growing and preserving their food. Kerry Sue’s family farm has been a great source of enjoyment and a place to host many family gatherings. She maintains an open-door policy for dear friends—old and new.

Following and serving Jesus Christ is an integral part of Kerry Sue’s life as well as her family’s.

Whether it’s singing in our church choir, teaching children or leading and lecturing at a women’s Bible study, Kerry Sue loves to demonstrate her love for Jesus by giving to Him in service. She’s been a blogger for more than eight years, a Bible study writer for two years, and a devotional writer for about one year.

Kerry Sue writes about finding God’s Sovereignty in our pain and suffering.

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Connect with Kerry:
Blog: https://www.sovereignblog.com/home
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kerry.teravskis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ksteravskis/