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  SWEET HONEY OUT OF THE BITTEREST HERBS
  by Thomas Brooks
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Summary: God works for our good, using afflictions to teach us valuable
lessons, refine us, and draw us closer to Christ.

Topics: "Affliction", "Spiritual Growth"
Scripture References: Romans 8:28, James 1:2

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DESCRIPTION
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Thomas Brooks emphasizes that all afflictions and trials serve a divine
purpose, working for the good of those who love God. He illustrates how,
like a bee extracting honey from bitter herbs, believers can derive
sweet lessons, obedience, and experiences from their hardships. Brooks
encourages the faithful to view their struggles as opportunities for
growth and deeper faith, noting that afflictions can lead to greater
spiritual maturity and closeness to Christ. He uses various analogies to
show that suffering often leads to the brightest displays of grace and
strength in believers. Ultimately, he reassures that God's intention
behind every trial is to refine and uplift His children.

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CONTENT
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"And we know that in all things God works for the

good of those who love Him, who have been called

according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

Consider that all your afflictions, troubles, and trials

shall work for your good. Why then should you fret,

fling, fume--considering God intends you good in all?

The bee sucks sweet honey out of the bitterest

herbs; so God will by afflictions teach His children to

suck sweet knowledge, sweet obedience, and sweet

experiences, sweet humility--out of all the bitter

afflictions and trials He exercises them with.

That scouring and rubbing, which frets others, shall

make them shine the brighter; and that weight which

keeps others crushed, shall but make them, like the

palm tree, grow better and higher; and that hammer

which knocks others all into pieces, shall but knock

them the nearer to Christ, the corner stone.

Stars shine brightest in the darkest night;

torches give the best light when beaten;

grapes yield most wine when most pressed;

spices smell sweetest when pounded;

vines are the better for bleeding;

gold looks the brighter for scouring;

juniper smells sweetest in the fire;

chamomile, the more you tread it the more you spread it;

the salamander lives best in the fire;

the Jews were best, when most afflicted.

Afflictions are the saints' best benefactors to heavenly

affections. Where afflictions hang heaviest--corruptions

hang loosest. And grace that is hidden in nature, as sweet

water in rose leaves, is then most fragrant when the fire

of affliction is put under to distill it out. Grace shines the

brighter for scouring, and is most glorious when it is most

clouded.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/thomas-brooks/sweet-honey-out-of-the-bitterest-herbs/
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