A Letter from the President

Have you ever had to eat your words? I have. Most of the time when that happens, they don’t taste very good. I choke them down as I struggle to admit I was wrong.

In Psalm 34:8, God invites us to “taste and see that the Lord is good” because He is confident in His words and His character. He knows they are good. Some are sweet. Psalm 119:103 “how sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.” They slide down easily. Others are like medicine that tastes bad but provides a healing balm. Even then, we know they are good.

Perhaps most compelling is Jeremiah 15:16: “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of Hosts.” Jeremiah took the time to not only taste, but to eat of the words of God. His experience, as recorded here, can be an encouragement to us as we pause to taste and reflect on the words and character of God. He is good.

My words often reflect the state of my heart. I can let my heart become bitter as I focus on the pain and dysfunction I see around me, resulting in critical, distasteful words. Conversely, I can let God’s words root out the bitterness. Then, His healing words can be reflected in my writing.

It is my hope that my writing, and yours, while not perfect, will be a reflection of God’s goodness in our lives. It is then that our words won’t be bitter. They will be seasoned with salt by the Holy Spirit (Col. 4:6). It is then that they will be tasty to us and to our readers.

Let us, like Jeremiah, eat of the words of God, the Lord of hosts, so they may be a joy and a delight to our hearts.

Lorilee Guenter