BITTERSWEET WORD

Psalms 119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

The Word is varied. Some of the Word consists of promises and encouragement; some of the Word consist of corrections and warnings. Some parts of the Word are doctrinal, and yet other part parts of it are threatening. Are they all sweet?

Certainly, the Word of promise and of encouragement is sweet, but what about the Word of warning, threatening and of correction?

I was talking with a young man today to whom I had to point out certain things in his life. He had a hard not taking offense at what I was saying to him, so the words that were supposed to be a blessing and an edification; “sweetness” to him, these words became a negative experience. I had to tell him that it was his choice; that it was up to his spiritual maturity to take good advice as a blessing, a tool for growth, or to chafe against it, in which case, the same word becomes to him more like bitter herbs than sweetness.

May God teach us to receive His Words, all of His Words as sweetness to our soul. The Word of encouragement for edification; the Word of warning for safety; the Word of threatening as the rod of a loving father, and the Word of doctrine as the teachings of a faithful mother. May we, by the receiving of His Word in an honest and sincere heart truly live in the land of “milk and honey” (Ex 3:8; 1 Pet 2:2).

(Romans 15:4) For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.