Honey from the Rock

Healing found in hidden places

I accidentally read Psalm 81:16 the other day. I say accidentally because I was looking for something else when this verse surprisingly stepped in front of me, flagged me down, and stopped me in my tracks.

“With honey from the rock I would satisfy you,” God said.

I’ve probably read that 100+ times, but this go around I stood there, mouth agape. I’m sorry … honey from where?

The land of Canaan abounded with honey, this I knew. The surprise came when I learned the purest forms of it were harvested from the farthest reaches of the rocky terrain. The bees would dwell in the cracks and crevices and deposit their honey there. Sweetness in a secreted space.

Deuteronomy 32:13 tells us God “nourished [Jacob] with honey from the rock.”

But wait. There’s more. The Amplified and Common English Bible use more vivid language, indicating that God “made [Jacob] suck honey out of the rock,” “nursed him with honey from a boulder.”

Friends. Pause and think about that.

I read this as an invitation to become intimately acquainted with the rocky regions and therein find a substance that soothes. A bee balm deep inside a boulder. Who would expect the healing to be hidden in such hard places?

A prayer I’ve begun uttering for my new book is that it would be precisely that — honey from the rock. Words which have emerged from meeting Christ in the cracks and crevices of the hard places I’ve dwelt and, together with him, pulling out a substance that soothes our souls.

“Gracious words are a honeycomb,” the wise Solomon once said, “sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24).

May it be so.

Honey from the Rock: Our Little Life Words of the week

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REFLECTION & RESPONSE

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Ponder: 

When have you been surprised to find honey in the rock? In what ways did it nourish you and/or others?

How has Christ met you in the cracks and crevices of your rocky regions?

Practice:

Research the healing properties of honey.

Purchase local honey and have a teaspoon each day this week.

Instead of shying away from the hard places, step in closer. As you do, ask God to surprise you with a sweetness that helps to soothe your soul.

Play:

The song we’re playing is: Honey from the Rock by Brooke Ligertwood.

Pray:

Surprise me with a sweetness that soothes my soul.