Pro 16:20 He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.
Pro 16:21 The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.
Pro 16:22 Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly.
Pro 16:23 The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.
Pro 16:24 Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
Solomon is commending those who have wisdom and prudence, those who have understanding, and even those who have eloquence in these verses. He's giving us qualities to aspire to, isn't he? I was particularly drawn to verse 24, though. Matthew Henry's commentary pointed me back to the writings (or singing, if I may) of his dad, King David, in the Psalms.
I believe Henry is correct in his assessment --- what other words could be any sweeter for us, than the words of the Lord? We can find words of instruction, of advice, and of comfort there. In Psalm 119:103 David exclaims, " How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" And in Psalm 19:10, he adds, "More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb."
Indeed, His words are pleasant, and wholesome, and sweet to our souls. Are we hungry for His word? Are we thirsty? When we read His words, do we relish them, for what they can bring to our inner woman? We know that our bones are what give our bodies strength, and here David is saying that the word of God is our spiritual strength, and will heal our weaknesses.
David and Solomon would not have recognized the granulated sweetener that we use today, but they knew honey to be a valuable and precious sweetening agent in their day. We know with our minds that God's words are precious, but do we know it with our hearts, as well? In your journal today, take a moment to write down some ways that God's words have helped you in the past few days. And going forward, add some notes to that page as new events happen, and cause you to cherish His words.
Yes, the Words of the Lord should be sweet as honey to us. But do we crave them, enjoy them, savor them as we do sweet honey? Hmmmm, I don't want to answer that....
ReplyDeleteI saw this earlier in the day but I had to come back and comment that I've been singing that psalm in my head all day now. I loved that from my grade school days...what a sweet passage to have on the brain!
ReplyDeleteAs I read this post I am listening to the song from today's post. I love that song.
ReplyDeleteIt has been a rough week at our house but God has brought us through and I have been writing words of praise.