Honey from the Rock: Finding Spiritual Sweetness in Hardship

"But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you." Psalm 81:17

The weathered hands pressed against the sun-scorched stone, fingers tracing the jagged surface as the desert wind whipped around him. His people waited, their parched throats and weary eyes reflecting doubt in the shimmering heat. "Shfoch et metikutcha, Adonai, pour out your sweetness, LORD," he whispered. For a moment, nothing. Then, a soft golden glow emerged thick from within the crevice. It wasn't water that flowed from that impossible source, but something richer, sweeter. Moses watched in wonder as honey, thick and luminous, streamed out of stone.

Have you ever found something good where you least expected it? The Psalmist recalls in Deuteronomy 32:13 how God "suckled them on honey from the rock and oil from the solid rock." The ancient church saw the rock as a representation of Christ, the oil as the Holy Spirit, and honey as spiritual food—for Christ gives us His Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 10:3-4, Rom 8:9).

God's Spiritual Sweetness in Hardship

This powerful image reveals God's ability to transform barren places into sources of blessing. After the reflective season of Lent and the celebration of Easter, we're reminded that the Resurrection itself demonstrates this perfectly. From the cold stone of the tomb came forth abundant life. From the hardness of death emerged the sweetness of eternal hope.

The apostle Paul experienced this firsthand, writing, "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:10). Paul discovered strength in weakness and grace in hardship—honey from the rock.

Right now, you might be facing your own "rock"—a difficult situation or seemingly insurmountable challenge. Jesus promised, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6). These difficult places invite us to look beyond temporary things toward eternal satisfaction.

Thomas à Kempis understood this when he wrote: "To value anything that is temporal is a great mistake.… For the soul that loves God scorns all things that are inferior to him. God, alone, the eternal and infinite, satisfies all, bringing comfort to the soul and true joy to the body."

The honey that flows from our challenging circumstances leads to a deeper awareness that only God truly satisfies. Our difficulties push us to release our grip on things that don't last and reach for the spiritual sweetness in hardship God offers.

Daily Goal: Identify one "rocky" situation in your life. Ask God to show you where the "honey" might be hidden within it. Then consider: Is this challenge inviting you to exchange something temporary for something eternal? Write down one specific way you can turn toward God's satisfying presence in the midst of this difficulty.