Delicious Words

by Audrey Frank @AudreyCFrank

I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread. Job 23:12, NIV

No one can make a morsel of food look more delectable, more delightful, more delicious, than a hungry child.

I glanced in the dusty corner of the tiled step as I raced up, two children in tow and one strapped to my front. We were rushing to reach the taxi before someone else took it. I needed to get to town and back before the baby’s naptime.

But in that one glance, I saw an unforgettable story, one that has remained with me over the years even after my children have grown big enough to carry me now

Nestled in the corner of that dusty Sahara stairwell was a pomegranate shell. Partly emptied, partly full, it still contained a few precious kernels. Just as it caught my eye, I saw a hand grab it with a flash. 

I looked back as I settled the children in the taxi. There stood a mite of a little girl, hair matted, a  stained, oversized t-shirt hanging long over bare feet. With tiny fingers, she fastidiously plucked the tiny rubies from their nesting place. Holding each one up to the light, with a quick puff of her cheeks, she blew off the dust before placing it delicately into her mouth. She was not in a hurry, and from the look of ecstasy on her face, someone else’s discarded lunch was her delicacy.

I have not often known hunger in my life. Unlike the little girl at the taxi stand that day, I have a full stomach most days. But when I have been hungry, truly hungry, the simplest of fare has been delicious. Hunger has a way of making food taste great.

Job said during a desperate time, “I have treasured the words of (God’s) mouth more than my daily bread.”

Job was a spiritual hungerer. He longed for God’s words to fill his emptiness. He had cultivated a hunger habit and found his fill in the words of God. This daily habit had imbued him with strength when strength was needed. He was full of God’s words, God’s truth, God’s strength. When faced with tragedy and destruction, he fed on what he had stored up in his heart over years of faithfulness.

The hungry know where to get food. They know how to feed others. 

I want to be a hungry writer. Hungry for God’s words, more than my daily bread. Finding delight in their textures and flavors, bringing strength to my soul. Storing up hope and help for other hungry people like me.

Surely the words of God are delicious to the soul who is truly hungry.

Lord, help me put aside other things that fill me, dulling my hunger for You. Make me hungry for Your words. Fill me that I may fill others. Amen.

TWEETABLE
Delicious Words - insight from @AudreyCFrank on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Audrey Frank is an author, speaker, and storyteller. The stories she shares are brave and true. They give voice to those whose words are silenced by shame, the hard things in life that don’t make sense, and the losses that leave us wondering if we will survive. Audrey and her family have spent over twenty years living and working among different cultures and world views, and she has found that God’s story of redemption spans every geography and culture. He is the God of Instead, giving honor instead of shame, gladness instead of mourning, hope instead of despair. Although she has three different degrees in communication and intercultural studies, Audrey’s greatest credential is that she is known and loved by the One who made her.

Her upcoming book, Covered Glory: The Face of Honor and Shame in the Muslim World, is an outpouring of Audrey’s heart to introduce others to the God of Instead. Shame is not unique to the developing world, the plight of the women behind veils, young girls trafficked across borders; shame is lurking in hearts everywhere. Through powerful stories from women around the world, Covered Glory illuminates the power of the Gospel to remove shame, giving honor instead. Available for pre-order now at https://www.amazon.com/author/audreycfrank

You can also find Audrey at www.audreyfrank.com, as well as on Twitter and Facebook