Wednesday Words of Encouragement

Ezekiel 3:1-3 (NIV) ~

"And he said to me, 'Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel.' So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. Then he said to me, 'Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving to you and fill your stomach with it.' So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth."

Did you ever eat a honeycomb?  I was in a local store recently and saw that they sold honeycomb.  It's wonderfully sweet.  I was so tempted to purchase it until I saw the price!  I love the taste of honey and often use it as a sweetener instead of sugar.

In this passage in Ezekiel, God is sending Ezekiel to give words of mourning and lament to the Israelites for their disobedience.   However, even though the words were not pleasant to hear or to give, Ezekiel said they tasted like honey in his mouth.

When you read God's word, does it leave a sweet taste in your mouth or a bitter one? Can you say, even when you are being convicted of something that you come away with a feeling of satisfaction because you are choosing to obey it?  Do you readily do what the Lord is saying even when it's difficult?

Ezekiel filled his stomach with God's word. Do you fill yours each morning this way? Do you look forward to spending time reading His word each day?  Do you spend time in feasting on the Lord or do you choke down a few words here and there?  The passage here said Ezekiel filled his stomach.  He didn't rely on just a little bit.

 

I know many will say, "I don't have time to read."  "I barely have time to get to work in the morning."  Yet, we do find time to watch a bit of the news or check facebook.  It’s so easy to put reading the Bible and praying last on your list of things to do.  However, that should be our top priority each day.  Our desire should be to feast on His word and to come away feeling satisfied.

So I encourage you today to make this an important part of your day. Find a time that works for you each day.  If the morning is hard, then pick another time.  Feast on God's word is where we will find true satisfaction and where we will actually obtain nourishment and growth.

 

Let's have a feast today!