Bible Before Breakfast: It’s Sweeter Than Honey
One of our children is continuing his education by studying at Cedarville University. The school’s president, Dr. Thomas White, encourages the students to instill a good habit of reading God’s Word. He urges them to make this a high priority. He plants this message in their minds with the phrase “Bible before breakfast.” In other words, feed your heart, soul, and mind before you feed your body.
How often do you consider God’s Word food to nourish your soul? Below, I’ve listed a few verses that speak of God’s Word as something to eat and feed upon. I’ve highlighted some words in bold to help you see the word picture, which is quite detailed and worth meditating upon. Check these out:
Bible References
Jeremiah 15:16
Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.
Ezekiel 3:1-3
And he said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.
Revelation 10:8-10
Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.”
Psalm 19:9-10
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.
Psalm 34:8
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Psalm 119:103
How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Proverbs 24:13-14
My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
Exodus 16:31
Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.
John 6:35, 51
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst…”
“…I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
Hebrews 6:5
and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come,
1 Peter 2:3
if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Martin Luther used the phrase “chewing the cud” to explain what it means to incline one’s heart to God. One good way to incline your heart is by meditation on Scripture. The act of meditating on God’s Word is much like a cow chewing its cud. As the cow lays in the field, stands, or walks about the farm, it chews its cud. The cow savors the grass in its mouth before filling its stomach. Later in the day, the cow regurgitates it, reworking the food before swallowing it again. It sounds gross, but the process transforms grass into rich, creamy milk!
When we meditate on God’s Word, we take it from our minds into our hearts. So I invite you to take a great, big chunk of scripture and “chew the cud” for a while. Keep chewing it until you know it well. Recite the verses in your mind as you go about life in the morning, noon, and evening. Repeat this process on the same section of God’s Word until…well…until it’s like a song you’ve listened to all day long and you just can’t get it out of your mind. Or, as some of the scriptures I’ve listed state, God’s Word will be sweeter than honey to your mouth but also to your heart, soul, and mind.
Dear Father in Heaven,
I want to know and love You. I want to know and love Your Word. I want to feed upon Your Word and enjoy its goodness and sweetness. Your Word is my delight. It teaches me what is true, right, beautiful, and wise.
In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.