"And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almond:"
There was a famine in Canaan. Hunger was gripping the land. It became necessary to make another trip to Egypt, where there was corn. If you are familiar with this story you will know that Joseph was in Egypt and had Benjamin to come on the next trip. Old man Jacob was very hesitant in allowing Benjamin to go. But, when he saw there was no other way out, he surrendered and spoke the words of our text above. Jacob in submitting to Benjamin was going went back to his old tricks; trying to win favor by giving gifts as he did with Esau years ago. Some of the old schemer personality was left in Jacob.
But, here I would like to depart from the context and have you note 4 words in the scripture text...
"Carry a little honey." Honey speaks of sweetness. You have all heard the saying, "A little honey goes a long way." Friends, much damage is done to our personal testimony , the church of God and the message of the Gospel, by our ugly spirit and our sharp words. How wise it would be if we would carry a little honey!
When tension is high in your life and you are going through a valley it is easy to be tempted with impatience. We often lose our temper, our sense of humor or we are tempted to become bitter, sour and sharp . We need to carry a little honey!
When others wrong you, persecute you, treat you wrongly and misunderstand you... carry a little honey!
When the responsibilities of life are heavy, it's duties weigh you down; don't be tempted to brush folks aside and not give them your time. Be a friend. Carry a little honey!
If you hold an important position at your place of employment, or if you have a lot of authority - don't let the temptation to be haughty and proud take over. Carry a little honey!
When other people don't quite meet your standards, your desires or your wishes...carry a little honey! Don't forget that other people fail and have short comings just like you do.
"A little honey goes a long way!"
It is our responsibility as born again believers to introduce the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others . We are to bring others into the Kingdom of God. In doing so, we need to encourage one another. Our world already has enough sourness and bitterness.
Let's give of the sweetness of God.
Let's show and demonstrate love - having a sweet spirit.
Let's carry a little honey!
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