“If my people would only listen to me,
if Israel would only follow my ways,
how quickly I would subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their foes!
…But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;
with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
(Psalm 81:13-14, 16 NIV)
If We Would Only Listen to God’s Word
Hazy-minded and in a rush, I read Psalm 81 before an early morning workout. This promise I found there cut through my disorientation, straight to my heart.
The Lord says here, “If my people would only listen to me…”
God does not ultimately want our sweat and sacrifices, he wants our ears open to his voice, attentive to him out of love and trust (Psalm 40:6).
He does not desire our ear for want of attention alone but for want of our own wellbeing also. He has a generous loving heart that seeks to do his servants good (Psalm 35:27). He knows his Word is life to us, and so he longs for us to listen.
God Will Bring Us Delight
If we are faithful to open his Word, to listen to God’s Word, what will he do?
In normal English we would probably say the last line of the verse like this, “I would satisfy you with honey from the rock.”
But that’s not the word order we find here. We get to hear first about how God satisfies us—with honey.
Honey is sweet and good. It has health benefits and boosts happiness. God wants to satisfy us with what is both deeply good for us and also delightful. He doesn’t merely give us what we need, but what we will enjoy.
Where does this pleasure that he wants to give come from?
“From the Rock,” which is a metaphor for Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4). True spiritual delight comes from believing in, and increasingly knowing and treasuring Jesus (Philippians 3:8).
God Will Satisfy Us
And how do we get this honey from the rock?
“I would satisfy you,” the Lord says (v.16). God himself will satisfy us with himself. As we listen to him, hearing and obeying his voice in the Bible, growing in our faith relationship with Jesus, his Spirit will satisfy our hearts.
We long for many things. Our world is clawing for pleasure, peace, and prosperity. God would prosper our inmost being if we would just prioritize reading his Word and hearing him speak. Will you believe that he wants to satisfy you? Will you ask him to satisfy you as you listen to God’s Word?
Believe him enough to open his Word, the Bible, trusting that as you hear him speak, he will bring delight and satisfaction to your soul as you get to know him through his Word.