MMMMM .... Sweet Words

 FEBRUARY 21, 2023

PSALM 119:103

“How sweet are Your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

When I came to Windsor, On in 1996, I became a participant in a local tradition celebrated on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. This tradition was inherited from the time of the middle ages through Polish immigration. On the Tuesday before Lent, the people of Poland used up food so that it would not be spoiled or wasted during the fasting season called Lent. Families would use up their eggs, butter and sugar and fruit by treating themselves one last time before Lent began with these rich treats, called Pączki (punch-key).

The first year that I participated, I heard that a local bakery, Blak’s it was, would have 35,000 of these oversized donuts filled with fruit, or custard and when they were gone that was it until next year. Well, all the hype over these Pączki meant that I just had to get some to share with my family. I rose early on that Tuesday because I did not want to miss out of this experience. Some of you are laughing at me I suppose, because you know, what I didn’t know, that these treats are rather plentiful in our area. Well, it was worth it, that is all I will say. Paczki are filled with sweetness that we enjoyed.

Thinking about Pączki today made me think about these Bible words from Psalm 119:103:

“How sweet are Your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

I also thought of Jeremiah 15:16,

“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.”

And the account in Ezekiel 3:1-3 “And he said to me, ‘Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.’ So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. And he said to me, ‘Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.’ Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.”

Finally, the testimony of Psalm 104:34, “My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD

In our Bible verse today God’s words, are called sweet to the taste, “sweeter than honey in my mouth”, says the Poet. Honey is of course a natural sweetener. God’s words, we are being told bring a sweetness to the life we live. As Jesus followers our lives should crave the sweetness of God’s words, just as our tongues crave sweet desserts, or more fitting today I suppose is the craving for Pączki.

Almost everyone knows the meaning of sweet. It means a pleasant taste like sugar or honey, which is opposed to that which is bitter. 

How can words be delicious? What does it mean that God’s law is sweet?  We know that Scripture contains the true words of God, given to us so that we can know what God loves and values and wants for his people. It also helps us know how to live in the world so wonderfully created. The Bible isn’t just a collection of random stories or a list of harsh rules. It’s an instruction manual for our lives. It’s a love letter from God to His people. When we read the Bible, we want it to be like enjoying our favorite dessert, can't wait to taste and experience the sweetness. We can think about what God's words mean and how they can help us or make our lives better. When we think of it that way, it truly is sweeter than honey!

So read it, embrace it, enjoy it, think about it, and love the Word of God! It lasts forever, helps us in every way. Charles Spurgeon wrote “All the sweetness you can get from earthly joy will be exceeded by the sweetness of an applied promise from the Word of God.”

If you sit down to a Pączki today and take that bite and taste that sweet filling, pause and remember the sweetness of God’s word and the promises God makes to you today, and everyday. Now that you have tasted that the Lord is good, crave God’s spiritual food!

LET US PRAY

God,
Thank you for your Word
Thank you that when we read the Bible we can know your heart
Help us meditate on the sweetness of your words
And savor it like tasty treasure!
Thank you for your love
In Jesus name, Amen!