Sweeter Than Honey

I recently came across this little factoid about honey, that it is considered to have an eternal shelf-life. In fact, some archaeologists have found pots of honey that are thousands of years old in ancient Egyptian tombs, and it is still edible!! This got me to thinking, and it led me to some other interesting facts about mankind’s first source of sweetener.

Some might call honey a sort of miracle food. It just doesn’t go bad. And here’s why: though sugar is a classic breeding ground for spoiling bacteria and organisms, the acidity which gives honey its signature flavor also acts to repel any would-be spoiling agent. In essence, though bacteria would love to make its home in and destroy honey, the honey has a defense mechanism so that it can last, in a sense, forever.

Nutritionists will tell you that honey is one of the best energy boosts for the body. In our day of energy drinks, and power bars, we would actually do better to eat a bowlful of honey. Whereas most sugary treats give a short boost and then a crash, honey gives a boost and––because of the protein in it––is able to sustain the boost.

Honey has also been used as a remedy for sickness and disease for thousands of years. It has a great ability to help alleviate the symptoms of colds, allergies, and other maladies! And it has been often utilized for its restorative properties, specifically for hair and skin. The stress of life damages hair and skin. So, if you aren’t getting enough rest, your body will be unable on its own to repair the damage. Honey, however, can be a great way to heal and restore that which is damaged.

Aw shucks, thinking about the properties of honey has reminded me of something else with similar properties? What was it . . . *snaps fingers* oh, I know. This:

How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (Psalm 119:103)

King David tells us that God’s Word is to be understood as being sweeter than honey. Honey was valued highly in ancient cultures, and David’s words show us a pattern and open unto us a world of understanding the sweetness of God’s Word.

More so than honey, God’s Word has an eternal shelf-life and will never spoil, rot or go bad (1 Pt. 1:25). The soul that tastes it declares it to be good and sweet (Ps. 34:8), and though “spoiling agents” would love to make it their breeding ground, it is its own defense. Though the enemies of God’s Word have sought to destroy it, their efforts always vanish into smoke. The Bible, unlike other sources of energy, will sustain you beyond merely a short burst. It will provide strength and energy for the task. Other sources will fail, God’s Word will never fail to sustain the saint that relies wholly upon it and feasts upon it regularly.

It is the saints’ remedy for sickness of the soul. Whenever sin is found within, the Word of God is that which leads the soul into paths of righteousness, repentance and holiness. Just as honey relieves suffering and heals wounds, so to does the Word of God (as John Newton wrote) “soothe our sorrows, heal our wounds and drive away our fears.” Oh, and where the stress of life has damaged, drained and sucked us dry, the spiritual honey of the Word can restore and bring health and vitality once more!

So often we spend our hours perusing websites for natural remedies, healing poultices, and organic, GMO-free recipes. We would do ourselves far more good if we spent as much time savoring the delight and joy of the sweetness of God’s Word; and not just the text, but the Word of God in the flesh!! It will last long after all earthly pleasures have faded, it will not be hospitable to that which would endeavor to spoil it, it will sustain the soul, heal the wounds, repair the damage and will ever prove infinitely sweeter than honey!