Proverbs 24:13-14. 13My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. 14Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
In Solomon’s day there was no sugar, so they used honey to sweeten things. There’s a family in my church that keeps bees and makes their own honey. They recently started to sell it too. In their kindness they gave me a jar, and boy was Solomon right, it is good. I love honey on peanut butter toast. It is sweet to my taste.
Obviously what we have here is an object lesson. Yes, eat honey. But more importantly receive wisdom, for it is sweet to your soul. Hopefully you can say this about God’s wisdom, that God’s wisdom is sweet to your soul, your life. If you’ve made it this far in this devotional, you must think that Proverbs is sweet to your soul. It is!
Receiving the wisdom of God should not leave a bitter taste in our spiritual mouths, but a sweet taste. As the Psalmist said, taste and see that the Lord is good. The Apostle Peter will quote that psalm and add:
1 Peter 2:2-3. 2Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Why should the wisdom of God taste sweet to us? Because we’re not just talking about getting some good advice here. We’re talking about growing up into salvation. We’re talking about our future and our hope.
Solomon isn’t just training his son in how to be a good and wise king, he’s training his son (and us) in how to live eternally in the hope of God. Christ is the wisdom of God. He is our sweet honey of hope. When we have tasted the love of Christ for us in the cross, we know that God is good. That we can trust him no matter what. That he has planned a rescue for us that will bring us to a place of everlasting joy and peace.
Until that day, let’s keep eating the honey of God’s wisdom, the good news. Let’s keep pursuing the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s enjoy his forgiveness. His grace. His love. Let’s mix the honey of our hope in Christ into all we say and do.
You: Do you enjoy the wisdom of God? Do you enjoy Jesus and his benefits?
You in Christ: How does our future and hope in Christ allow us to enjoy the sweetness of God each day?
Christ in you: Have you been “eating honey?” How can you get into God’s word more, in order to enjoy knowing Christ through its sweet words?
Pray: Father, your wisdom is sweet not bitter. Your wisdom is Christ your son, his love and kindness toward me. Help me to enjoy you, God. Help me to grow in my love for you today. Amen.
To Live is Christ 