Sweeter Than Honey

By: Joanne Viola

The notes in the margin of my well read book tell me I have read it at least three times now. Yet the words fell on my heart as if I had never seen them before:

"Be thou more calm of spirit, and gird thyself for greater endurance."
(from The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis, page 120)

It was the word 'gird' which grabbed my attention as we don't use it very often, if at all, today. The word means "to fasten something tightly with a belt or a band" (as in "gird your loins"), or it can mean "to surround or encircle" (dictionary.com). 

As we fervently gird ourselves with God's Word, we are better able to endure life's circumstances. 

“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:13, NKJV)

To think clearly, we are going to need to gird our minds - fasten His Word tightly to our hearts; surrounding or encircling our minds with Scripture. 

Slightly further in the same devotional are these words:

"O Lord, blessed be Thy word, sweeter to my mouth than honey and the honeycomb. What should I do in my so great tribulations and anxieties, unless Thou didst comfort me with Thy holy words?"

There have never been so many resources available to teach us than there are today. While we use them and are grateful for them, they must not replace the actual reading of Scripture.

We cannot rely on head knowledge of the Word. Our hearts must be fully engaged and intimate with the Author so that we are able to apply the Word in our decisions and choices each day. And this comes from being taught by God.

We need to be taught by God and willing to let His Word - apart from our own thoughts, opinions, and knowledge - do the teaching. Something to think on today for sure. Who is teaching us the most? God's Word or the words of others?

"How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey." (Psalm 119:103, NLT)

Photo by Hunter Trahan on Unsplash