God's Word - A Sweet Treat

With COVID continuing to disrupt our lives, your Fall schedule is anything but normal this year. Many of you may find yourselves with sports canceled, school online, spouse still working from home, and possibly a bit of feeling a bit of regret over all that you are missing. With a slight perspective change, you can focus on the extra OPPORTUNITY you GET to invest spiritually in your family. WIth the normal hustle of activities, you probably struggle to have some regular time when you open the Bible with your kids. Maybe that is something you can add to your less-hurried routine since most activities are canceled. This extra time might be a priceless opportunity to invest spiritually in your children, with impacts for eternity.

If you’ve never done this before, I suggest you introduce this new practice in an engaging way. I have found food usually builds excitement and helps create warm memories. This activity involves nature’s sweet treat of honey. Did you know that God’s Word is compared to honey in Psalm 119:103? Here’s a lesson to help your children understand and learn the sweetness of God’s word.

Supplies you will need: Honey, graham crackers, napkins, and small plates

It may work for you to have your family Bible lesson first thing in the day or over breakfast. For my family, right after dinner was our best time because Dad was home from work. If you plan to do this lesson in the morning, just adjust the recommendations for time to discuss the event to the afternoon or evening prior. Earlier in the day, announce to your family that you are going to have a special family time that evening. Gather the family around and, with excitement, explain that your family is going to explore Gods’ word.

Ask your kids: Do you like a sweet treat? What is your favorite sweet snack?

Explain: Here in this bottle, I have some honey. Honey is a natural sweetener. Ask if they know where it comes from? That’s right, it comes from honeybees. It takes several months for them to make a decent amount of this treat. Isn’t it wonderful that God made a way for us to get honey? Honey is the sweetest natural food you can find. The Bible tells us that there is something even sweeter than honey. Do you know that is? It is God’s Word. Read Psalm 119:103 or have an older child read it aloud.

“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

Ask: Do you think that can really be true? Is God’s Word really sweeter than honey?

Explain: By comparing the Word of God to the sweetness of honey, the author of this Psalm, David, was saying that it can satisfy and nourish our souls like food does to our tummy. Spending time in God’s Word encourages you spiritually; it gives you strength; it gives us pleasure just the way a sweet treat does. Like the way a sweet treat makes our taste buds smile, spending time in the Word of God makes our soul smile, and it refreshes us.

Here’s an example to help explain this. Do you have a favorite book? Is it a story you know the plot and the ending but you enjoy reading it anyway? Do you remember the characters of that book and does it bring warm memories as you think about the story and your favorite characters in the story? But, the Bible is MORE than just a good story - it has supernatural powers because it isn’t just a story but is the Word of God. It gives us comfort, can challenge us, and can even help us become sweeter to our family and friends because it changes us from the inside out.

Who wants a special sweet-treat?

Hand out graham crackers with a bit of honey on them for everyone to enjoy. Remind your kids that nothing compares to the sweetness of God’s Word.