The Honey Test by Yvette Walker
"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!"
Psalm 34:8
Sometimes it can take extra effort to embrace the real over the fake. For example, you must spend more time taking care of a real alligator or snakeskin purse by carefully cleaning and treating the exotic and expensive skin. You don’t need to do that with a fake bag. The fake bag is easy to care for and looks almost as good. The real is more valuable and can hold up longer over time but you have to spend some time and resources to get the full value.
Likewise, following Jesus is more dear and valuable but can cost: in time, treasures, and even sometimes family and friends. Following the crowd is easier, less expensive. Following your own appetites can feel better, seem better.
But which is truly better?
Recently my small group discussed this very question. I was asked to teach the lesson, and it was my very first time teaching. Honey came to mind.
I looked in my cupboard and pulled out substances that looked like honey. I found some real honey, a blend of honey and corn syrup, coconut palm syrup, agave syrup and ginger syrup. All these syrups looked like honey but only one was pure. One was true. Which was better?
So I put them in small plastic containers and brought the syrups to my group. Would they be able to guess which was the pure honey? First, we first observed. Then, we smelled.
Lastly, we tasted. Only after we really got close could we tell which was the real honey! Likewise, we must get close to God's word to really tell the pure from the fake and why the pure is best!
I came back home and put the containers on a shelf. Actually, I forgot about them! Months later when I wanted a cup of chamomile tea with honey, I went to the cabinet and looked … oh! I had forgotten! Where had I put the honey and lookalikes? I found the shelf and looked. Which was the honey? Could I tell just by looking this time?
All the liquids looked similar, but only one had firmed up. Crystals had formed. It was the only true honey. I made my tea, took a sip and smiled.
Prayer:
Dear God, I pray that I will always desire to find the real over the fake, even if the fake is easier. Let me get close to You, get deep in Your Word, because this is the only way I can know Your will for me. Your true, pure and perfect will. Amen.
Dig Deeper:
Read aloud Proverbs 27:5-7 and consider what King Solomon is trying to communicate on hard and easy:
Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
profuse are the kisses of an enemy.
One who is full loathes honey,
but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.
Sometimes the tempting and the alluring seem sweeter, while the rewards worked for are the better choice.
Discussion questions:
1. When has something that was fake seemed better to you? What was it and how was it “better?”
2. When in your life have you had to make a sacrifice for your faith or family? Did it turn out to be the sweeter choice in the end?
About Yvette
Author & Podcaster
Bio:
ARE YOU FLOURISHING IN YOUR FAITH? Three years ago, Yvette wasn't. She'd been walking around for years believing in God, but with a numb heart. After hearing God’s calling, she started POSITIVELY JOY.com as a podcast and ministry about the struggle for everyone to walk in their joy. Her devotional, "Whispering in His Ear," focuses on the quest to talk to and listen to God's message every day. Yvette manages a Facebook community group along with other social media related to her ministry. She is a native of Chicago and now lives in Oklahoma.
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