“The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.” — Proverbs 27:7

1. Are you content with the things of this world?

This verse can be taken to mean more than one thing. I used to use it to teach that if our soul is full of the things of God, we won’t be hungry for the things of this world. I still believe that it makes sense in that way.

However, in the Bible honey and the honeycomb are always spoken of in a good sense. God gave Isael a land of milk and honey. Psalm 19 speaks of the desire for God’s word being greater than the desire for honey and the honeycomb (Ps. 19:10).

The Bible does teach contentment, but there is a kind of contentment that is wrong, when it promotes a sense of apathy for the things of God. If we don’t have a hunger for the Word of God and preaching, then we need to evaluate why we are not hungry. Has abundance made us careless? When we are comfortable and self-satisfied, we may take God’s gifts and blessings for granted. We are no longer filled with gratitude and thanksgiving for the things of God. In a spirit of humility and repentance we may need to empty or soul of the things of this world that we have become satisfied with.

2. Do you hunger for God during bitter times?

A second way to receive this verse is as encouragement for the hungry soul. When a person is truly needy—hungry for righteousness, wisdom, mercy, or deliverance—even “bitter” things may become sweet because God uses them to feed, teach, and strengthen. Correction may taste bitter at first, but to a humble heart it becomes sweet if it draws us closer to the Lord.

The condition of the soul affects what we hunger for. The same honeycomb may be rejected by one person and treasured by another, not because the honey has changed, but because the heart has.

Let’s ask God for the hunger to receive His blessings rightly. A grateful heart tastes sweetness where a proud heart finds nothing special. A humble heart learns from hardship where a satisfied heart only complains. The Lord may sometimes allow hunger—not to harm us, but to awaken us to what truly satisfies.

·       Have I become so “full” that I no longer value the sweetness of God’s blessings?

·       Is there a bitter circumstance God may be using to deepen my hunger for Him?

·       What would it look like today to receive both comfort and correction with gratitude?

Prayer: Lord, keep my soul tender and hungry for You. Do not let comfort make me careless or abundance make me ungrateful. Teach me to treasure the sweetness of Your Word, Your mercy, and Your presence. And when I pass through bitter places, help me trust that You can use even hardship to draw me nearer to Yourself. Amen.



Ron Cox – Director of HOPE Ministry