This month it's all about the sweetness of the Lord! As I reflected on the goodness of God this weight of His glory came over me.
Have you ever eaten too many sweets? I have indulged a lot over my years. My best friend and I (in high school) would literally build an ice-cream castle in a huge mixing bowl and decorate it with candy, just as if it was a gingerbread house, and then eat the whole thing. To say that "I like sweets" is probably an understatement! However with time, understanding, and wisdom the things we indulge in change.
It's been more than 2 decades since I've built, and eaten, an ice-cream castle. And the thought of it actually doesn't appeal to me today. I've tasted something sweeter. I've had the pleasure of encountering Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, and there is just nothing better than Him. It's as if I've tasted the sweetest thing that one could possibly taste but you can't overdose on it. With the sweet treats of the world you become full, maybe too full, and at some point can't look at anything sugar related. (Or maybe that was just me. ???) Sometimes, for the things of this world, we can have too much of a "good" thing. But we can't have too much sweetness of the Lord. In fact, if we all embodied a little more of His sweet disposition our world would look a little kinder.
The goodness of Jesus, the sweetness He offers, is truly satisfying - to spirit, mind, and body.
Blessed [joyful, nourished by God’s goodness] are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness [those who actively seek right standing with God], for they will be [completely] satisfied.
God's Kingdom is different from the world's ways - we can overeat and not be satisfied. But in the Kingdom when we hunger and thirst for Jesus we will become completely satisfied. And each and every time we hunger or thirst for true righteousness, we will know when we've found it because we will be completely satisfied every time. That is true sweetness.
Often, when I sit in my secret place with the Lord, I'm overcome by His sweetness. It's this feeling of being flooded, from both outside and within, of this intense love. His love is like a thick honey which just coats you. It coats from the outside in and from the inside out. His Holy Spirit is within us. His mighty presence is beside us. This honey coating is to protect our minds from hurtful words and protect our bodies from the world's ways. We are supposed to view others with this honey filter which shows the gold inside everyone. But some people try to wash away the honey and when that happens they see others through the world's eyes instead of God's eyes.
Allow yourself to be coated in God's sweetness this month. Choose to embrace a hunger and thirst that can be satisfied only from God. Be intentional with your words and actions. Choose to see others through this beautiful honey-golden filter. Give yourself grace and then give it to others.
As we celebrate the Lord's sweetness all April, here's how you can go deeper into the Word with us:
* Join us for our virtual creative retreat Awaken Art on April 18th
* Visit our YouTube channel each Monday for a sweet message
* Listen to our podcast each Monday for a sweet message
Blessings to you! May all your days be covered in honey.