Sunday, August 23, 2015

8-23-2015



 Good Morning All!!
        Psalm 119:103; “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
     Most people enjoy the taste of something sweet.  We like the way the taste of sweetness enlivens our tongue and our senses.  It makes bitterness tolerable if we mix the two.  Most of us probably agree with the old Mary Poppins adage that “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.”  We tend to sweeten many of our drinks and we often look for ways to incorporate it into our cooking and baking.  In the biblical times, there was no sugar.  The only natural sweetener was honey.  In ancient Palestine, honey was greatly treasured so for the psalmist to say that God’s words are sweeter than honey means he places high value on God’s Word.  The psalmist finds greater joy in God’s Word than anything else.
    The psalmist explains why he believes this throughout this entire psalm.  He speaks of God’s Word as renewing our life, giving us hope, bringing joy to our heart.  Through God’s Word we receive the message of our salvation through Jesus.  This simple yet wonderful news fills us with hope based on God’s enduring promise and truth.  It brings joy to our heart as we look forward to the completion of God’s grace in our life.  For we can hold that simple truth; God’s grace is but glory begun and glory is God’s grace completed.  We live renewed in the truth of our redemption through the blood of Jesus.
    In our life here in this world, God’s Word gives us understanding and shapes our values.  We truly are what we believe; and if we truly believe that Jesus died and rose to pay for our sins we are different from those who do not.  For we know that the Word of God, in the hearts of men (and women), changes lives.  We are different because of our faith.  Our world view changes from one of self-centeredness to one of care and concern for our fellow man and for all of creation.
   Because we have this certainty of hope, we have confidence that in all things God hears and answers our prayers.  We know that in all things we can turn to God and he will answer us.  This can produce within us an inner delight that fills us with joy, with praise and thanksgiving for God’s abundant love and mercy.
   For many of us, we need to be reminded of God’s great goodness and we can find this reminder and reassurance in God’s Word.  We need that little boost and we receive that boost when we turn to God’s Word in all diligence and truth.   
Father, your Word is sweeter than honey.  Lead me to taste and see that it is good.  Lead me to savor your Word as I hear those words of comfort and hope.  Guard me and protect me from all harm.  Be with those who do not know the sweetness of your Word.  Lead them by your Spirit to trust in you. In the precious name of Jesus I pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret

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