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“My child, eat honey, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to the taste. In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul.”  Proverbs 24:13-14

I am a sugar addict. I cannot get my coffee too sweet, and for my birthday, I would just prefer a bowl of icing, forget the cake! Yes, it is a real problem! Once I get that sweet taste in my mouth, I have a very difficult time saying no to the next sip or bite. I have to consciously walk away, eat something with a different taste, or exercise a crazy amount of self-control!

So when I read this verse where King Solomon is telling us to eat something sweet and good for our soul, I am ready to indulge! Bring on the platter of everything honey!

The passage goes on to remind us that just as honey is sweet to our tastebuds, wisdom is sweet to our souls. Scripture is giving us permission to indulge-in sweet wisdom! I want my soul to yell, “Bring it on! I can’t get enough!”  Sometimes it does, and I walk in His ways and have His peace, even through the difficult circumstances of life.

But sometimes I push back and forget how sweet and yummy His wisdom is. It is not usually decisive; it just slowly happens. I start experimenting with different tastes and forget how sweet “It” was.

Why do I do this? Why do any of us ever make decisions or live life apart from the God of the universe? Who loves and adores us and always wants the absolute best for us?

I can think of three main reasons that have happened in my life.

1. I don’t like the way my life is going, and I think I know better than God. Proverbs 9:10 tells us that, “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.” (NLT)  When I cannot bow my knee to the King of Kings and submit to His ways, I am walking away from the sweetness of His wisdom.
2. I trade His wisdom for what this world has to offer. I get caught up in comforts, money, valuing myself and my life by the standards of this world, and most importantly, thinking that it is all about now and forgetting about an eternity with Him! 1 Corinthians 3:18-19 states, “Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by the world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God…” (NLT)  I always have to ask myself, who am I listening to or what is pulling me  away?
3.  My own selfishness. I am tired or annoyed, or in pain, or I just don’t feel like doing right. I have a bunch of excuses, depending on the day. Maybe you can identify? It is the core of our humanity to do our own thing. The more I do it, the more often I eat “sour” things, the better I become used to the taste. I can actually forget the taste of His sweetness. Proverbs 14:12 reminds me that, “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.”  If I am not walking with Him, I can be easily deceived that my path is the right one.

How do we get rid of the bitter taste and run back to the sweetness His wisdom offers?

We repent. We recognize whatever it is that is keeping us from Him and His ways. And we do whatever it takes to remove it, change paths, or break relationships. We acknowledge there is nothing more important in this world than walking with Jesus. We call old friends who we know love Him, we head back to our church or small group, we listen to a sermon or music that uplifts His name, and we begin to get that sweet taste back. Once we get a little on our tongue, we will desire His taste more and more!

We also choose Him each day-one bite at a time. Choosing His Word, talking with Him, and remembering His love and commitment to us. He is always waiting with open arms for each of us, His Girls.

“Father, help us to crave You and Your ways and know how much You love us.”

For His Glory

Terrie Tollerson (www.TerrieTollerson.com)
TRBC Women’s Life