Honey From A Rock 

Psalms 81

“I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide and I will fill it. But My people did not listen to My voice, and Israel did not obey Me. So, I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, to walk in their own devices. Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! I would quickly subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their adversaries…But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat and with honey from the rock I would satisfy,” verse 10-17 

This is a Psalm that projects God in the first person speaking to Israel. God’s main point in this brief motivational speech is ‘you have no idea the fullness of blessings that will come to you if you will just LISTEN AND OBEY! 

In my youth, we would often sing a hymn in church with the following words: 

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, what glory He sheds on our way! 

While we do His good will, He abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey. 

Trust and Obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to Trust and Obey. 

Before God states the positive outcomes of following Him, He first states it in the negative. You are suffering loss and being tormented by your enemies because… 

“My people did not listen to my voice and Israel did not obey Me.”  

Boom! There it is. They did not listen and obey. Attaining the blessings of God and thus, being happy, is not that complicated. Why do we make it so hard???  

When they didn’t listen to God (and when we don’t) the results are completely predictable. God always does the same thing. I’ve sadly witnessed it in the lives of people I know. I’ve seen it over and over in the narratives of the Old Testament. The following happens:  

“So, I gave them over to the stubbornness of their own heart, to walk in their own devices.”  

I’ve lived as a Christian for over 50 years now and I can tell you from experience, you don’t want to be on your own in this world. You don’t want God to allow you to do your own thing. He may not completely remove His hand from you but He allows you go your own way. It sounds liberating but it’s not. Not at all. 

When we don’t listen and obey, we are screaming to God to leave us alone and let us do our own thing in our own way. God does exactly that. He lets us walk in our own devices. Been there, done that.   

We can all reflect and tell stories of this pattern occurring in our lives. Usually, the painful consequences begin small and if we’re smart, we come to our senses and surrender to God. But if we don’t, the consequences intensify as time goes on and we continue to follow our own fearful and selfish pursuits. The inevitable results are relational pain, financial pain, distrust, failing health, sometimes disease. Everything you touch turns to dust. The intensity of our problems increases like birth pangs, (not that I know what that is actually like).

I met a man this past weekend and as we spoke and shared our common love for the Lord, he let me know that several years back he had wandered from God and was doing his own thing. Then, he said, one of the best days of his life happened. He had a Hebrews 12:6 experience when God pushed his face into the concrete. He had a bad motorcycle accident. It was extremely painful, as you can imagine. But looking back, he considers it one of the best things that ever happened to him. He is now listening and obeying God and joy and purpose have returned to his life.  

God responds to Israel’s disobedience with fervency;  

“Oh, that My people would LISTEN to Me, that Israel would WALK in my ways.” Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.”  

If we would listen and obey, then God would:

“Quickly” subdue your adversaries and feed you with the finest food, give honey from a rock and fully satisfy you. That’s what the text says. God says he’ll do it quickly.

‘Honey from a rock’ is an interesting phrase. When we are suffering the consequences of self-sufficiency, none of our efforts, not matter how sure and sound they seem to be, produce good results with any enduring substance. But when we are close to God, listening and following Him, the sweetness of honey comes our way out of nowhere. Who expects to get honey from a rock? But when we are following God, His blessings and favor come over us in beautiful and unexpected ways. He will even turn a rock into honey of blessings and favor toward us! This is amazing!

Let’s face it, our primary means of listening to God is to read His Word, reflect on its meaning and listen to God as he teaches us how to live accordingly. Then walk in it by faith. The righteous live by their faith.  Over time, God will turn your ashes into joy. He promises it so! And today’s passage says He’ll do it quickly. 

Lord, it’s so simple but we’ve made it so hard. The compounding results of living our own lives and following our own paths, creates hardship after hardship. Sometimes we feel like we’re in a hole and can’t get out. Help us to take just one step at a time toward the path of following You. Just one step at a time. The hole seems deep but You have promised to respond QUICKLY! What a great and loving God You are!!! Amen!