How Sweet It Is!

Psalm 119:103
How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Sweets! Oh, those delectable morsels of sugary or chocolatey foods we crave! For those of us with a sweet tooth, a routine visit to the grocery store presents a smorgasbord of mouth-watering treats so hard to resist.

The luscious aroma wafting from the bakery lures us as readily as the mythological Sirens called sailors to their rocky shores. We know what we will find if we go there. A shipwrecked diet!

Summoning all our willpower, we navigate hastily down the closest aisle, away from the cookies, pies, frosted cakes, coffee cakes, danish, cheesecake, chocolate eclairs, donuts . . .

Siren! Stop singing!

Whew! We make it to the back of the store. We take a deep breath and fumble for our shopping list. Let's see, tomatoes, carrots, onions . . .

For several blessed minutes, we are distracted by our duties. We are lulled into safety. Then we take that fateful turn onto another aisle offering even more treacherous enticements.

The Candy Aisle!

Snickers, Milky Way, Three Musketeers, Kit Kats, M & Ms, Reece's Pieces, Twix, Junior Mints, Nestle Crunch . . . Chocolate's irresistible perfume clouds our senses. Our noses twitch and tremble like a lioness when her prey is close at hand.

Just one pounce away . . .

Our hand, trembling, reaches out. Just. One. Bag.

The sleek feel of the plastic wrapper snaps us back to reality. What were we thinking? We shake our heads as if to discard the last shreds of a distressing nightmare. We shudder at this all-too-close call. In a daze, we continue shopping.

Now, where was I? Oh, of course, detergent, paper towels . . .

Our respite is brief. It is upon us before we think to brace for it.

The Dairy Aisle!

Ice cream sandwiches, fudgcicles, Klondike Bars, Moo Bars, butter pecan, moose tracks, chocolate mint chip, cookie dough, strawberry, peach, vanilla, French vanilla, chocolate, chocolate fudge . . .

Now, we are running for cover! We reach the check out lanes, panting for breath. Relief at last, we think, as we place our groceries on the conveyer belt.

Our eyes wander.

Big mistake!

In neat and tidy array, there sit the individual candy bars. War-weary and battle-scarred, we heave a sigh of surrender. Will just one hurt? Just this once?

"Oh, these grapes you're buying are the best I've ever tasted!" The cashier gushes, interrupting our thoughts. "They are so juicy and, boy, are they sweet!"

We look down at the bag of fruit as it slides across the scanner. We smile gratefully. The candy stays on the shelf.
~
It's such a relief to know we can feast on the sweet words of God as much as we want, anytime we want, and never add a smidgen to our waistlines. We can savor His lessons and commandments all the day through and taste the delicious gifts of His love, His grace, His mercy.

Sweeter than honey, or chocolate, or ice cream. His Word always satisfies!

May His glorious Word fill you with all goodness today!

I am thankful for my home. It is a haven of peace.

Readings
Psalms 119:97-120 or 81, 82
Nehemiah 7:73b-8:3, 5-18
Revelation 18:21-24
Matthew 15:29-39