Sweeter Than Honey: Renew Your Delight in God’s Word Along With Wycliffe Bible Translatorsနမူနာ

Embrace the Pecans

Butter pecan ice cream is both sweet and savory. It’s a little complex and has plenty to uncover (with those hidden chunks of pecan and all), but in the end it’s not too overwhelming. God's Word is filled with encouragement and hope, but it also talks about some pretty tough topics. Like pecans, they can be a little hard to chew.

You might tend to pick out the stuff you don't like or avoid that “flavor” altogether. Understandably, because who really wants to hear about trials, temptations and all kinds of downers? But let’s be real: Life is messy. You’ll endure tests, you’ll be challenged, you’ll be troubled — and there’s no guarantee you won’t fall on hard times.

So what are you going to do? Of course, you can go back to Psalms for some cry time and comfort. That’s definitely soothing and sweet. But you should also prepare yourself by seeing what God has to say about rough circumstances. Read what the Bible teaches about difficulty, and maybe, just maybe, when it happens you won’t be as surprised and unprepared. You might even find some joy.

Joy comes when you know who writes your story, when you’ve read the book and when you know how it ends. You know that this life is temporary but the eternal life God has prepared for you will be so much better (John 14:3-4). You know that Jesus understands exactly what you’re going through because He lived it too (Hebrews 4:15). You know that the Holy Spirit is with you (John 14:26). You know that if you mess up, God is merciful (Lamentations 3:23). You know that in the end, Jesus will return and make all things right (Acts 3:21).

Some of God’s truth can be hard to read, and sometimes what He’s asking of us can seem harsh. But when softened by the assurance of God’s saving love and perfect plans, life’s crunch times can actually become sweet reminders of His faithfulness.

Points to Ponder:

• How do you react to rough circumstances? Was there a time when God got you through a difficulty?
• Are there passages of God’s Word you find tough to chew?
• Read James 1 and 1 Peter 1. What is God revealing to you about difficult times?