Honey

 Today marked my last day on campus for the summer and the end of freshman year. This afternoon I grabbed my Bible and journal and walked over to have my last meal in the caf (praise the Lord) and it was then that the Lord gave me a sweet (literally!) reminder of His Word and provision--HONEY.

My options for lunch were slim, but the salad bar had greek yogurt (which I figured was my safest bet) so I grabbed two of the little pre-packaged containers. I couldn't find anything to sweeten it with, so I decided to try and swallow it plain. It was--as I expected--tangy and unenjoyable. "If only I had some honey." I kept thinking. I opened my Bible, and sitting right in the inside pocket was a little thing of honey. A memento from one of Mr. Curtis Bostic's Sunday school classes; a reminder to dwell on and fill our minds with things of goodness.

Seeing it reminded me of how kind and intentional the Lord has been with me this semester, and freshman year in general. The ways His Word has given me hope and life. He has guided me with His hand; given me friendship when I felt alone, mercy when I acted faithlessly, renewed my spirit when I felt depleted. He truly proved to me the words of Habakkuk 3:19 "God the Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places." 

I was reminded of what the Bible has to say about honey. In 1 Samuel 14, the Lord provides honey after Jonathan's victory against the Philistines. When Jonathan ate this gift from above, "his eyes became bright" (v. 27). The Lord's words are revitalizing, bringing life back into our souls. Proverbs 16:24 says, "Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body." The Lord's truths are sweet and good to those who take ear.

Just as the honey made my Greek yogurt more bearable, the truths of the Lord made this first year of college more bearable. In fact, it does more than that: it is the only reason I was able to function sanely or experience true joy. Freshman year taught me about true, full reliance on God. It taught me how to seek and receive the blessings He places in front of me, even the ones that at first look like hardships. The Lord has given me honey time and time again, and each time I taste of it I am reminded of how nourishing it is to simply be still in His presence.