Do You Like Chocolate?

Chocolate or cocoa is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels. It has been consumed in some form for at least 5,300 years. The seeds of the cacao tree have an intense bitter taste and must be fermented to develop the flavor. After fermentation the seeds are dried, cleaned and roasted.

Much of the chocolate consumed today is in the form of sweet chocolate, a combination of cocoa solids, cocoa butter, vegetable oils and sugar. People of the world spent over $98.2 billion on chocolate in 2016. Chocolate tastes delicious, and the world enjoys consuming it. The world rejoiced when the sweet treat was found to have significant health benefits. Chocolate contains flavonoids that help safeguard the body against aging and heart disease.

Solomon suggested there is another “sweet” worthy of our investment: wisdom. In Proverbs 24:13 he recommended his son eat honey “for it is good.” When we feed on God’s wisdom in Scripture, we find it is sweet to the soul  — plus, it has beneficial teaching and training. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says wisdom equips us for “every good work” we need to accomplish in life.

Wisdom is what allows us to make smart choices and understand the world around us. Solomon says it’s worth investing in and sharing as he did with his son. We can feel good about feasting on God’s wisdom in the Bible. It’s a sweet treat we can enjoy without limit.

I challenge you to think about God’s wisdom and how it affects your life. Do this every time you eat chocolate or honey! Thank God for the sweetness of His Scriptures.

Prayer – God, thank you for nourishing us with Your wisdom. May we be reminded of Your wisdom every time we taste something sweet. Amen.

Proverbs 24:14 – “Wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope.”

By the Rev. Tommy Herndon
Images: Rosemary Williams, Pablo Merchan Montes & J.D. Mason, courtesy of Unsplash