Honey is Sweet!

Verona UMC has ten beehives that produce a lot of honey, which is sold to support their mission projects. Bob Weeks is the pastor, and he started this ministry several years ago. Did you know that bees pollinate 80% of the world’s plants? Bees have to visit about two million flowers to make a pound of honey. Eating local honey can help you combat allergies. Honey also has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, and it actually contains hydrogen peroxide.

Honey has many good qualities, and some of these qualities teach us how to deal with the world. We live in a world filled with different opinions, and we need to come to these opinions with grace.

In Proverbs 16:24, King Solomon said, “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” King Solomon told us how we are to speak because words can destroy. During this time, messengers were relied heavily on because they didn’t have telephones or the internet. These messengers needed to be calm and reliable. They needed to use reasoned tongues and not over-react, no matter the issue. Solomon’s words in verse 1 were: “To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.” Proverbs 16:2 tells us that “motives are weighed by the Lord” who sees our heart.

When dealing with a difficult issue, always use sweet grace. Honey sweetens our food and heals our bodies. Grace is needed as we deal with difficult issues. Our text today says “gracious words are a honeycomb!”

Prayer: God, when we speak on hard topics, soften our hearts and words with your sweet Spirit! Amen!

Proverbs 16:24 – “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

By the Rev. Tommy Herndon
Image: Adobe iStock