God honoring life

“Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.”

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

Malachi 1:6  “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name.

Jeremiah 5:30  An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land:  the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?

1 Samuel 2:28  Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel.  Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?’  Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,’ but now the LORD declares: ‘Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

Jeremiah 2:21  Yet I planted you a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned degenerate and become a wild vine?  Though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your guilt is still before me, declares the Lord GOD.

1 Peter 2:17  Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.  Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.  For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.

Rejecting knowledge of God leads directly to not honoring Him.  There are many ways for us to honor Him.  We can start with a desire deep in our heart, mind and soul to know Him.  We can live with a committed choice to follow and obey Him.  We can seek first how to give the best of what we have with purpose to honor Him.  We can endure sorrow and suffering unjustly.  We can love others more than ourselves.  We can confess our sin and rely on His forgiveness.  Honoring God begins in the heart and mind.  The manifestation of this want to honor Him can be seen and heard in what we say and do throughout our day.  Choosing to neglect Him does not honor Him.  Choosing to serve and live for self interests does not honor Him.  Choosing not to give generously does not honor Him. We have a choice to make every moment of every day.  Joshua put it best “as for me and my house we will serve the Lord” 

Prayer to Praise

“Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.”

“For he has delivered me from every trouble”

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Psalms 54:1   O God, save me by your name, and vindicate me by your might.  O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth.

Psalms 26:1  Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.

Psalms 43:1  Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people, from the deceitful and unjust man deliver me!  For you are the God in whom I take refuge;

Psalms 55:1-2   Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!  Attend to me, and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and I moan,

Psalms 28:7    The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

Psalms 140:7    O LORD, my Lord, the strength of my salvation, you have covered my head in the day of battle.

Exodus 15:2    The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

Isaiah 40:31   but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Zechariah 10:12    I will make them strong in the LORD, and they shall walk in his name,” declares the LORD.

Ephesians 6:10   Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

We all come up against trials and troubles throughout this life.  We can take note of David and how he brought these trials before God, almost like a complaint, but he always ends in praise proclaiming God’s love, mercy, might, strength and his faith in it.  Acknowledging our trials and troubles to God, our heavenly Father, should be natural.  Likewise we should have continual praise for Him and proclaiming our faith in His power, might, sovereignty, strength, love, mercy, and grace.  Try this for a week.  Read His word for 5 minutes each day and highlight His promises.  These promises are your building blocks for praise because not only do we see what He has done but what He is doing and will do.  Take your problems to Him and lay them in His hands.  Trust in His promises to never leave you or forsake you, to have steadfast love for you, to be your strength, your rock, your power, your refuge, your joy, your peace, and your hope.  In Him you will find rest and reason for hope.

Call on Him

“The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth”
“This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me”

Psalms 17:1
Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!

Psalms 86:1
Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.

Psalms 142:1
With my voice I cry out to the LORD; with my voice I plead for mercy to the LORD.

Psalms 43:1
Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people, from the deceitful and unjust man deliver me!

Psalms 140:12
I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will execute justice for the needy.

Psalms 61:1
Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer;

Nehemiah 1:6
let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned.

Hear these heart cries from men of God who did not think it shameful or weak to run to God for help.  These cries are heart deep because there is something in their heart, mind and soul that places God first and their life dedicated to being a humble servant with a desire to worship, honor and glorify God.  Note in contrast what Jesus said about those whose hearts were not – “this people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” How easy is it to give lip service to being a follower of God while our heart is so far away from living each moment of every day in His presence.  God hears our cries for strength and protection but should that be the only time we turn our heart, mind and soul to Him.  No it is not.  Live each day with Him on your mind, in your heart flooding your soul.