Sweets to the Sweet

“The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.” (Pr 27:7 AV)

Honey is an interesting thing. Honey has a unique taste.  It tastes both bitter and sweet at the same time.  I have to admit, when I first ate honey, I didn’t like it.  I had a best friend who used to love honey candy.  Specially honey flavored gum.  It was awful.  He tried to get me hocked on it, but it was disgusting.  Then a strange thing happened.  I got hooked on Bit-O-Honey candy.  Loved it.  Yet, I still didn’t eat the real thing.  Then I married into a family whose patriarch loved honey.  He would put it on biscuits.  Being somewhat the adventurous type, I decided to try some.  The key was not too much.  If you put a small amount, the sweetness comes through.  Too much, and the bitterness takes over.  If one doesn’t enjoy the little, he will never enjoy more.  That is the meaning of our proverb above.

When I am not in need, the simplest of all pleasures will never satisfy.  But what I am in need, then the least which the LORD provides is gratefully appreciated.  It is like Christmas morning.  Those who have much will never appreciate the simplest of things.  Those who have little would appreciate the basest of gifts.  Growing up, the most interesting and fun gifts we ever got was from our grandparents.  The big-ticket items come from my parents.  But my grandpa had this way of knowing these little trinket gifts gave us the simplest of pleasures.  A little tin pressed wind-up toy was the greatest thing.  It was something bought from the bargain bin.  Somethings that didn’t need batteries and usually broke after a day or two.  Those little hand-held mechanical arcade games were always a hit.  Or a set of marbles.  Or a hunk of play-do.

Having all our needs met is not a good thing.  If all our needs are met and all our desires fulfilled, we could never be happy.  We need to need.  This makes us more grateful for the little we have.  There is nothing better than a homemade biscuit with a bit of honey on top.  Oatmeal is awesome with a little bit of honey infused.  A cup of lemon tea is the best with a drop or two of honey melting in its heat.  Simple things.  Little things.  Having too much can be a curse.  Take stock in how grateful you are for every little thing and you will find a direct correlation to how happy you are.  To the full, even the smallest of sweet things is bitter.  But to those who suffer need, even the smallest of provision can be awesomely sweet.