Psalm 19 speaks of God’s law, statutes, commandments and judgments. These are not words we typically associate with the sweetness of honey. Correction, reproof, instruction: these are all words we typically associate with a bitter taste. But sweetness is exactly how the Psalmist describes God’s direction.
Why? God’s words warn us how to avoid harm. Not only that, God’s direction and instruction shows us how to live constructively. It brings us the greatest of rewards.
There is a strange reality about humans – we very often do not know what we actually want. We may think we know. We might think that a few more dollars in the bank account or a few more followers on Instagram will meet a desire of our heart. But “more” is an unachievable destination. Sometimes we have specific goals we believe will bring us happiness. But all too often, those who receive the very things they were so sure they wanted discover it only leads to emptiness.
We live in a world that chases gold and honey, but doesn’t realize the infinite supply of something vastly superior to either. God’s word provides in abundance and is readily available for us to interact with.
The word of God is more precious than gold and sweeter than honey. It leads us on paths to the fulfillment of our deepest desires.