The Parable Of The Bitter Leaf And Honey

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By
The Man Who Saw God Face To Face
Raphael Okechukwu Nweze

The Parable
         The Almighty God teaches His children the lessons of life, by first giving them bitter leaf to chew. Afterwards, He gives them honey to eat. The bitter leaf means the sufferings, disappointments, losses and hardship encountered in the world. The honey refers to heavenly treasures and pleasures. It is meant to teach humanity that:
  1. A person should first work, before he eats.
  2. The unpleasant worldly encounters are for future benefits, here on earth and in heaven.
  3. After this earthly and perishable life, comes the everlasting and imperishable life, full of treasures and pleasures.
  4. Every person should happily and peacefully bear, consider or attend to whatever he experiences in life.
  5. Those who sow in tears shall reap with abundance of joy! Psalm 126:5
  6. Man should peservere in his efforts, until success is achieved.
  7. What many call sufferings, are not sufferings, but the seeds of future benefits.
  8. The earthly sufferings, hardship and experiences are the mercies of the Lord.
  9. In heaven, man comes to understand earthly sufferings as what they are – the abundant mercies of the Lord.
  10. In heaven, your earthly sufferings and disappointments pale into insignificance when compared with heavenly treasures and pleasures.