On our way back from Boone NC this weekend, we made two stops. First, the Dogwood Café, where I enjoyed this beaut of a drink… Vanilla and Brown Sugar Latte.
A little further down the mountain, we stopped by a popular roadside market that was chock full of preserves, jellies, fruit, and my favorite—mountain honey, with the honeycomb⎯four to be exact. Yep, I’m a tad giddy.
Rarely do I gaze at a quart of spun sunshine without thinking of Psalm 119:103.“How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Psalm 119:103
Perhaps it’s because David’s life was tinged with the bitter flavor of sin⎯adultery, murder, and a collection of wives, to name a few⎯that he was able to fully appreciate the sweetness of God’s heart, reflected in His words. In biblical times, nothing compared to honey when it came to sweetness, which speaks volumes as to David’s spiritual palate and the relationship he shared with God.
In the current book I’m working on, Pauses for the Vacationing Soul: A Sensory-Based Guide to the Mountains, I share how life would’ve been much sweeter had I become a believer at an early age rather than in my late twenties. A multitude of sins could’ve been avoided, and my sons, along with innocent bystanders {because sin never affects just one person}, could have been avoided. And yet, it wasn’t until I tasted the bitterness of my sin that I craved the sweetness of heavenly-breathed scripture.
Sometimes we do not crave the sweetness of scripture until we have tasted the bitterness of sin. Share on XTo taste is personal.
You can’t taste my food, and I can’t taste yours. In the same way, we taste and value scripture for ourselves.
To taste is to be near.
When we look at the original language of Psalm 119, we see that David chose to use the plural form for “word” instead of singular, suggesting that the more we read scripture⎯the more we encounter God through experience⎯the sweeter our exchange becomes over time.
In reading, meditating, memorizing, and speaking its life into others (and having it spoken into ours), we taste God’s Word. We experience it and revel in its beauty for ourselves.
Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. Psalm 119:18
With the quart of honey in hand, I’m reminded of those written in my prayer journal who taste and testify to the sweetness of scripture:
- Four friends—Bruce, Josiah, Mary, and Grace—are currently under the category of “cancer/healing”. All four are not mere tasters, they are dwellers.
- There is also a friend’s son, Elijah, in my journal. This young man experiences a level of pain that would leave most adults gulping for air from the feeling of being swallowed whole. His mom, Callie, family and friends, cry out to the LORD asking for divine answers as doctors continue to seek for the origin of Elijah’s pain. Still, they taste God’s goodness, and trust.
- There are two young and precious widows, Leah and Tara, who exemplify scripture dwellers, leaning into the provision of Christ, revealing robust faith beneath their devastating loss. Tara’s son just left for bootcamp.
- And there is a young California friend whose husband was recently deployed. I marvel at her strength, and the joy that exudes from her relationship with God. Her toddler son is blessed as a result.
Oh, to taste⎯to personally experience⎯the sweetness of our Father’s words for ourselves!
I still have much to learn when it comes to enriching my spiritual palate, but there are a few things I’m learning along the way.
How to Sweeten Our Spiritual Palate
- Keep a journal. Recording the ways God personally reveals Himself to us through prayer and scripture reminds us of His goodness, even in the toughest of times.
- Crank up the praise. It’s more difficult for the enemy to slither his way in when praise music is occupying the space. {This is especially helpful when we find ourselves in the waiting room of life, tempting our minds to navigate unnecessary scenarios.} Also, when we crank up the praise through our lips, testifying God’s goodness to others, our spiritual palate matures and develops, creating a joyful noise of its own.
- Invite God into the mundane. Why? Because He cares. I struggle with traffic. I mean, really struggle. If you pass me on a busy road, you will see my lips moving. I ask for His help in the smallest of things because I know He understands and desires to help me. What good father wouldn’t? Trusting Him for the little things prepares us to trust Him for the bigger things, releasing a glorious infusion of sweetness that rises to the heavens.
- Remain confident…in God. When scripture reads more in the form of conviction {never condemnation} or instruction, we can remain confident in God, the Author of all things good and sweet for His ultimate glory.
See this blank page in my prayer journal? I would count it a privilege to pray for you.
Please feel free to leave your request either in the comments section or message me via Facebook.
Also, as the Spirit leads, please pray for those mentioned above in my journal.
Let my prayer be accepted as sweet-smelling incense in your presence. Psalm 141:2
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Sugar, perhaps unlike any other substance, leaves you always wanting more. The more you eat it, the more you crave it. I do have a physical sweet tooth but more importantly, I have a spiritual one. Your post is inspiring Cathy. A dear friend of mine told me once to, “taste of His goodness and you’ll be hooked for life.” And I was. Thank you for writing my son’s name in your journal. He inspiries me more every day to keep dipping my finger into the honey pot of God’s word! Your beautiful encouragement always does the same!
I love your friend’s perspective! Elijah’s inspiring nature reveals that he doesn’t fall far from the tree. Your smile and perseverance are a beautiful testimony to the time you’ve spent with your finger in the honey pot. 🙂 Prayers continue! Thanks for taking the time to share.
Thank you, Cathy, for your continued prayers. Part of the sweetness Father blesses me with is the love and prayers of others. And part is the privilege of praying for them. As you said, “…the more we encounter God through experience⎯the sweeter our exchange becomes over time.” There is nothing sweeter than the depth and breadth of His Words. They draw us ever closer to Him, and assure us of our eternal security. May God bless you with ever-increasing sweetness.
You are a prayer warrior, Bruce Brady — and you are loved by me and countless others. Although you are a couple hundred miles away from us now, you are — in all the ways that matter — but one prayer away.