“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
(Psalm 119:103)
There’s a sweetness to God’s Word that surpasses all earthly pleasures. In fact, our text from the 119th Psalm describes it as honey from the comb, rich and nourishing. And the psalmist does not exaggerate, but instead speaks as one who has tasted and found God’s Word to be more desirable than gold and sweeter than the richest delicacies (Ps. 19:10).[1]
Just as a baby draws all it needs for daily strength and healthy growth from its mother’s milk, so the believer finds everything necessary for life and godliness in the Word of God (1 Peter 2:2). It nourishes, strengthens, convicts, comforts, and corrects the spiritual newborn toward greater maturity… for its warnings are sharp, its promises sweet, its judgments fearful, and its mercies wide.
Many believe the study of Scripture is the special domain of pastors and teachers. But every Christian is commanded to read, meditate on, and treasure His Word, for this is where we encounter the voice of God. To neglect it is to silence that voice and starve our souls, but to read its words is to feast at the feet of Christ.
For this reason, His Word must be approached with reverence of heart and a hunger to hear and receive, knowing only the Spirit can truly open our eyes and prepare the soil of our heart to do so. Otherwise, we will come with distraction, prejudice, sin, and self-will. These sins must be put away like filthy garments if we would receive the Word with profit.
Above all, we must never forget that God’s Word is the active, living breath of the Author Himself, powerful and penetrating. So to read God’s Word is to hear the voice of the Shepherd, to know His truth and to walk in His light.
Therefore, let the Word dwell in me richly, Lord. Let it form my thoughts, direct my steps, correct my errors, and gladden my heart, for it is the sweetness of heaven made available to me.
Contemplation:
- Do I love the Word? I say I believe the Bible, but do I crave it? Do I open it with hunger or with habit? The psalmist spoke of sweetness, and yet I often treat it like medicine. But if the Word of God is the voice of the Almighty, then my soul should run to it, cling to it, and rejoice in it.
- Prepared to hear. I know the condition of my soul affects how I receive the Word. Too often I come to it rushed, distracted, even cold. I need God to plow up the hardness, to take away the thorns of anxiety and sin. Help me come with a still heart, an open Bible, and a bowed head. Only then will the Word take root.
- Receiving the hard parts. I have a tendency to skim past the parts of Scripture that expose me, correct me, or demand change from me. But God’s Word is not there to flatter me; it is there to sanctify me. I need to receive all of it, not just the parts that comfort me. Let me say, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.”
- Christ in the Word. When I read Scripture, I am not just learning facts or moral lessons. I am meeting the Living Word, Jesus Himself. Every line points to Him. Every promise is affirmed in Him. Every command reveals my need of Him. I want to sit at His feet like Mary, and say with Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
Prayer (Adoration):
O Lord, You have spoken through Your Word, which is life and truth… light that shines into darkness and bread that nourishes unto eternal life. I lift my heart in praise that You have not remained silent. You have revealed Yourself. You have opened the heavens and given us Your statutes, precepts, and commandments.
There is none like You. You alone are wise. You alone speak with authority. Every word that proceeds from Your mouth is eternal, and not even one aspect of Your word shall fail. You sustain the universe by the word of Your power, and yet You stoop to speak to me, a sinful man. This is a mercy beyond explanation.
I adore You, O God, for the gift of Your Word. It is more precious than silver, more desirable than gold, more satisfying than honey fresh from the comb. It cuts and heals, it convicts and comforts. In it, I hear the voice of my Shepherd calling me by name. In it, I see the face of Christ shining through every line.
I praise You for the clarity of Your Word which is so deep that it overwhelms the wise, so plain that even the simple may understand. I bless You for the sufficiency of Your Word, because in its pages I find everything I need for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. I magnify You for the faithfulness of Your Word, that every promise shall stand and every warning will come to pass.
You are not silent, Lord. You have not hidden Yourself. You speak to the humble. You reveal truth to those who tremble at Your Word. What a wonder it is that the God who dwells in unapproachable light should delight to disclose His heart to His people.
I rejoice in Your statutes. I love Your commandments. I marvel at the law that converts the soul and makes wise the simple. I glory in the gospel that brings life to the dead and liberty to the captives. Your Word is perfect. Your testimonies are sure. Your judgments are true and righteous altogether.
Make me a student of Your Word. Let it dwell in me richly. Let it form my thoughts, shape my affections, and direct my steps. Let me not be content with knowledge, but let me “taste and see that the Lord is good.”
May the sweetness of Your Word lead me to greater adoration, deeper faith, and fuller obedience. I adore You, my God, for You have spoken.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References for Psalm 119:103:
Ps. 19:10; Job 23:12; Prov. 24:13; Deut. 8:3; Ezek. 3:3; Matt. 4:4.
[1] “The honeycomb; than that honey which the bees have most diligently wrought in their combs, and which freely flows from them; which is sweeter than the rest.” Matthew Poole, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, vol. 2 (New York: Robert Carter and Brothers, 1853), 30.
