by Jill Pearson
As I watched the gold medalists step onto the podiums in this year’s summer Olympics in Paris, watched them raise their metals, sing their anthems, and cry their tears of joy, I imagined their long arduous journeys of sacrifice, sweat, and determination. Truly inspiring! Yet how much more precious than gold is God’s word in our lives? Ponder for a moment Psalm 19: 7-11…
The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
That’s how we can think of our encounters with the Word of God. Finer than gold and sweeter than honey.
Did you know that Jewish children historically began their study of the alphabet with a special tradition? Honey was placed on the slate, and the children licked it off to remind them that the study of the Torah is sweeter than honey.
This fall, as we return to routines often lost in the summer, may we dedicate ourselves to meditating on God’s word and treating it as honey dripping from the comb and as our own gleaming gold medal, hard-earned by the sacrifice of Christ.
The editors at The Stir had these thoughts in mind as we invited women to share testimonies, special scriptures, and invitations to study God’s Word. You can read testimonies from Joan Brandenburg and Suzanne Jones, get to know Jean Bushre and Jan Schwingler in Faces of Calvary, and learn more about our women’s morning and evening Bible study, Renovaré, from Stephanie Conkright. Robin Kaufman shares about her deep dive into the Psalms, and Rachel Sviggim recommends a timely book. Finally, you won’t want to miss the honey-forward recipe shared by Sandy Schad of the Bee Shed!
May your September be full of God’s goodness and blessings!