Honey Dripping

In Eugene Peterson’s Eat This Book, he tells the story of his 7-year-old grandson Hans who appeared to be devoutly reading his New Testament as he sat on a park bench. The boy’s eyes moved back and forth across the pages of the Bible, denying the fact that he had not yet learned how to read.

Similarly, we can consistently “read” God’s Word without comprehending its message for our lives. In Psalm 19:7-11, David lifts up the matchless wisdom of God’s Word. He makes six statements about it, in which each contains the phrase “of the Lord.” The title “Lord” is from the Hebrew word Yahweh—the covenant name of God. God is relational and He speaks to us in His Word. David reveals this important truth about Scripture: It proceeds from God Himself.

So the way we read the Bible is vital. Do we read it merely for information, principles, or truths that we can use to live better? Or do we read it in order to listen to God and respond in prayer and obedience?

In Psalm 19, David also lists four qualities of the Bible (perfect, trustworthy, right, clear), and the four results of following its truth (reviving the soul, making wise the simple, bringing joy to the heart, giving insight for living). Notice that the whole person is affected—the soul, the mind, and the heart.

No wonder David proclaims that God’s Word is “more desirable than gold, even the finest gold” (v.10). Yes, Scripture is infinitely more precious than anything this world has to offer. And it’s “sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.” This imagery encourages us to savor God’s Word, to eat the book and truly take in its life-changing, life-sustaining wisdom.

—Poh Fang Chia

Taken from “Our Daily Journey”