What Honors God
“But I will honor those who honor Me, and
I will despise those who think lightly of Me.”
1 Samuel 2:30 (NLT)
The word honor in the Old Testament is “kabad” and means heavy, substantive, and weighty. In the New Testament, it is translated “doxa” and means glory or to glorify. When we honor God, we are glorifying Him, declaring His weight and worth to us as one of extreme value. This is true worship. In worship, I honor God by declaring His worth to me. To dishonor God would be to take Him lightly, treating Him with indifference or apathy.
God expressly promises to “honor” those who “honor” Him! That’s a promise you can claim and intentionally act upon. But how do we practically show honor to God? Let’s look at what His Word tells us. In Proverbs 3:9 (MSG), the Bible says, “Honor God with everything you own; give Him the first and the best.”
I honor God when I give Him my best! At Christmas and on special occasions, we honor those to whom we give our best gifts. Those gifts are an expression of our love and respect. This is a great place to begin if we want to show our honor for God. Give Him your best. When you give God your best, He promises in the next verse to fill your life with provision and blessing.
Another way to show honor to God is found in verses 5 and 6 of that same chapter. It says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”
I honor God when I acknowledge Him first! Before making any decision, large or small, do you take time to acknowledge God in prayer and seek His direction? Seeking someone’s counsel that you respect shows that you honor that person and respect their opinion. When you seek God’s counsel in every decision so that your response would be one in alignment with His will, you are honoring Him; you can be assured that He will give you direction and make your paths straight.
Here are four practical ways I know to honor God: Give Him…
THE FIRST DAY OF MY WEEK IN WORSHIP AT CHURCH
THE FIRST PART OF MY DAY IN PRAYER AND READING SCRIPTURE
THE FIRST CONSIDERATION IN ALL MY DECISIONS
THE FIRST PORTION OF ALL MY INCOME
This weekend is a great time to practice these four ways to honor God. Begin with worship at church.
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.