Eat Honey, My Son, For It is Good

Honey is one of nature’s power food, packed with vitamins, calcium, iron, potassium, amino acids and trace enzymes. Documented as early as the time of Aristotle and the ancient Egyptians, people have been using honey for its antibacterial, anti-fungal and healing properties for centuries.

Honey consumption is known to provide numerous benefits. It acts as a natural cough suppressant, has the ability to reduce ulcers and other gastrointestinal disorders, helps to fight against cancer and heart disease, strengthens the immune system and increases athletic performance.

This is why God also encourages us to eat honey since it is good for us.

Proverbs 24:13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.

But was God referring only to physical honey for our bodies? What about honey for our souls? In the Bible, God’s words are compared to honey.

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

Considering the many health benefits when we consume honey, we will also be spiritually healthy and grow in faith when we “consume” God’s words regularly, which are sweeter than honey.

Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Just as honey helps to fight against diseases and strengthens our immune system, reading the words of God helps to strengthen our faith. It is also a tool for us to fight against Satan’s evil schemes.

Ephesians 6: 11-17 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is… against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God… Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Honey consumption was common among ancient Olympic athletes in order to enhance their performance. Modern studies have also verified its superiority over other sweeteners in maintaining glycogen levels and improving recovery time. Likewise, spiritual honey—the words of God—helps to strengthen our stamina to continue running the spiritual race towards the kingdom of heaven.

2 Timothy 4:7-8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.