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“The Full Soul”
The Full Soul
Wade Webster
Solomon wrote, “The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet” (Proverbs 27:7). Honey was one of the sweetest things in the ancient world. When God wanted to picture the sweetness and goodness of Canaan, He described it as a land flowing with milk and honey (Exo. 3:8). As sweet and as good as honey is, a man can be so full that he detests even the thought of it. Have you ever felt that way?
A week or so ago, we were anticipating a huge Thanksgiving meal. Likely, our mouths were watering for turkey, dressing, macaroni and cheese, sweet potato casserole, deviled eggs, corn, green beans, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and a host of other things. An hour or so after eating, the thought of these things was likely less appealing. Eventually, after several hours of family, football, and turkey induced napping, our appetite returned. However, after a second round of these same dishes, the thought of them a third time probably had little or no appeal for us. We may have even loathed or recoiled at the sight or mention of them.
If we are not careful, the same thing can happen with spiritual things. As you likely know, God’s word is described as honey. The psalmist wrote, “How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalms 119:103). The psalmist delighted in the thought of God’s word. Even the bitter things (hard things) were sweet to Him because he was hungry to know God and to please Him. We read, “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips” (Psalms 63:1-5). The psalmist never lost his hunger for God, for God’s word, or for God’s house. The same needs to be true of us (Mat. 5:6; Acts 17:11; 1 Pet. 2:2).
Sadly, individuals who once hungered for righteousness and for God’s word can lose their appetite for these things. Jesus spoke of some like this in the Parable of the Sower. We read, “But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles” (Mat. 13:20-21). The initial joy of the stony soil hearers soon faded. Given more time, they might have even grown to hate the thought of truth. Through Amos, God spoke of some who fell into this category. We read, “I raised up some of your sons as prophets, And some of your young men as Nazirites. Is it not so, O you children of Israel?”Says the LORD. “But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink, And commanded the prophets saying, ‘Do not prophesy!’ (Amos 2:11-12).
It is okay to have your fill of turkey and to not want it for a while. I suppose that it is even okay to be so full that you don’t want pie. However, it is not okay to grow weary of the preaching of God’s word. It is not okay to loathe the very thought of truth.
