SWEETER THAN HONEY
Prov. 24:13-14 “My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: 14 so shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.”
Psalm 34:8 “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”
Prov. 16:24 "Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
SWEETER THAN HONEY
About 3,000 years ago, David, the shepherd king of Israel equated God’s Word as food even sweeter than honey. He states in Psalm 119:103, "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" I have found this to be so! Never before in my Christian journey has God's Word been so dear to me as now. It (Jesus) has uplifted me and encouraged me like nothing else—a necessity to my health physically and emotionally, as well as spiritually.
MORE THAN MY NECESSARY FOOD
Especially in recent years, I’ve needed Him and His Word more than ever. From 2020 and since that time, actually. Four years ago, when our world was confronted with an unprecedented global crisis, I ran to God. Gently and with great kindness, He spoke to me through His written Word, as well as in my heart. I needed some answers, and He assured me of His love and His truth concerning our situation and our future.
TASTE THE SWEETNESS
The sweetness of His Word is what comforted me. I was able to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8) and that He could be trusted implicitly. So, if honey represents God’s Word, I believe it’s very important to study the properties of honey. I believe God created honey not only to satisfy our sweet tooth, although that’s amazing! He loves to delight us with His good gifts. Even more, though, I believe He wants to nourish our souls. On a daily basis, we can choose the 'knowledge of wisdom' (Prov. 24:14) as we walk with God to fortify our thoughts, our decision-making, and our emotional health.
HOW HONEY IS MADE
With that in mind, we could do an in-depth study on the life of the fascinating honeybee, manufacturer of honey. However, I will just focus on a few vital facts. Unlike man-made or *artificial sugars, which are very harmful to the human body, honey, as an all-natural substance, is made by worker bees who excrete enzymes from their bodies to combine them with nectar they have gathered from flowers. They then fan this powerful elixir with their wings in order to evaporate excess moisture to yield the final product. I just love that! This industrious little insect, responsible for pollinating most of our fruits and vegetables, also produces a superfood we shouldn’t be without.
BENEFITS OF HONEY
Below I have listed a few of honey's life-giving properties when it is in raw, unfiltered form:
- seals a small wound, killing pain and germs
- antibacterial, bringing rapid healing
- an effective remedy for acne and skin irritation
- cleanses, exfoliates, and moisturizes skin
- rich in antioxidants
- relieves coughs
- cleanses the digestive tract
- aids in sleep
Amazingly, this list is certainly not exhaustive. And is it not just like our brilliant Creator to pack so much good into something so sweet and nutritious?! What have you discovered that I haven't mentioned? I would love to hear about it! If you have something to share, please contact me. I'll consider including your suggestions in a future edition of my book. I discuss honey and many other useful and effective natural products in my book, GROUNDED, Simple Tips for Living Well, 2nd Ed.
SPEAK THE SWEETNESS
Another point to consider, not only do we need to nourish ourselves, but we can offer beneficial words of life, joy, and peace to others as well. To do so, in fact, can change the whole atmosphere of a conversation or a room. And of course, it is just as important how we say something. Clearly, the operative word here is “sweet”, lol. I love the Scripture verse, “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.” (Prov. 16:24) What an apt description, don't you think? So now, after reading this information, have you reached the same conclusion that I have? That by God's grace and as much as possible, we will eat and speak God's good Word wherever we go!
Disclaimer: The above statements/claims about the possible health benefits conferred by this food have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease.
NOTE ON *ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
Artificial sweeteners are dangerous forms of sugar which can be very damaging to the body. They are many times sweeter than sugar, such as Aspartame (200x), Saccharin (500x), and Sucralose (600x). Unbelievably, Advantame, approved by the FDA, is 20,000x sweeter than table sugar!! But are they worth the risk? Please do further research to find out for yourself.
Personally, I prefer using only natural sugars like honey or maple sugar/syrup, coconut sugar, even organic cane sugar. Again, honey, loaded with nutrients, is 25x sweeter than table sugar which has zero nutritional value; therefore, we can use less honey. Perhaps you buy an alternative sweetener such as stevia (250-300x sweeter than sugar). True, it is natural, but I have recently discovered stevia is detrimental to gut health and reproduction, so I no longer buy it. Another natural sweetener, monk fruit (100-250x) is wonderful and has a low glycemic index, but it is expensive and therefore impractical for frequent use. My conclusion on the sugar question? As for me and my house, we will eat naturally!
