Day 9 - 40 Days of HOPE
Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days of HOPE
Day 9 | SWEET HOPE
40 Days of HOPE
Day 9 | SWEET HOPE
SWEET HOPE
Proverbs 24:13-14
“Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste. Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.” (NIV)
Most people enjoy eating sweet things; desserts, candy, cakes, and so on, even though we know that most of them are not really good for us! I have to laugh at the creative things offered annually at our “San Diego County Fair.” Things like “deep-fried Twinkies,” “deep-fried Girl Scout Cookies,” and “chocolate-covered deep-fried cheesecake.”
Back in the day Solomon wrote these proverbs, HONEY was the leading sweetener and – as a plus – it was healthy too!
In these verses, he parallels eating sweet, good tasting, AND healthy honey with what it’s like to acquire wisdom, grow in wisdom, read about wisdom, and adopt wise-living as a way of life. The imagery of the health-giving properties of honey makes an excellent analogy to the life benefits of wisdom.
But too often, people – outside the church at least – push away from faith in God because of their assumption that being a “Christian” and trying to follow God’s plans would be without joy or reward.
Solomon is teaching that proper behavior is not recommended solely on the grounds of morality… but because it is the best route to sheer pleasure, hope, and the fulfillment of dreams. Further, the gaining of wisdom rewards life with sweetness just as the taste is the reward of eating honey. Finding wisdom – though requiring effort – will be abundantly compensated for and will cause us to be full of good HOPE.
Prayer: LORD, help me to focus on You and Your wisdom as my ultimate source of JOY and HOPE. Amen.
Proverbs 24:13-14
“Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste. Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.” (NIV)
Most people enjoy eating sweet things; desserts, candy, cakes, and so on, even though we know that most of them are not really good for us! I have to laugh at the creative things offered annually at our “San Diego County Fair.” Things like “deep-fried Twinkies,” “deep-fried Girl Scout Cookies,” and “chocolate-covered deep-fried cheesecake.”
Back in the day Solomon wrote these proverbs, HONEY was the leading sweetener and – as a plus – it was healthy too!
In these verses, he parallels eating sweet, good tasting, AND healthy honey with what it’s like to acquire wisdom, grow in wisdom, read about wisdom, and adopt wise-living as a way of life. The imagery of the health-giving properties of honey makes an excellent analogy to the life benefits of wisdom.
But too often, people – outside the church at least – push away from faith in God because of their assumption that being a “Christian” and trying to follow God’s plans would be without joy or reward.
Solomon is teaching that proper behavior is not recommended solely on the grounds of morality… but because it is the best route to sheer pleasure, hope, and the fulfillment of dreams. Further, the gaining of wisdom rewards life with sweetness just as the taste is the reward of eating honey. Finding wisdom – though requiring effort – will be abundantly compensated for and will cause us to be full of good HOPE.
Prayer: LORD, help me to focus on You and Your wisdom as my ultimate source of JOY and HOPE. Amen.
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