Now the Lord says: far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. 1 Samuel 2:30
Today’s verse is a conversation between God and Prophet Samuel regarding Eli, the priest. The conversation teaches us a divine principle of honoring God and the consequences of our actions.
God chose Eli to serve Him in His sanctuary. He wanted to establish an eternal priesthood for Eli’s lineage, but we see how their dishonor and unfaithfulness made them lose the blessing God had in store for them.
Eli honored his family more than he honored God. Instead of correcting his children, he made excuses for their behavior. Many of us do the same. More than focusing on God, we focus on our friends, our jobs, or increasing our bank balance. We skip church, prioritize a family function, or neglect our prayer life buried under various commitments. It is easier to buy gifts for the girl we are trying to impress than to tithe in the church or write poems for the boy we are in love with, but shy away from participating in worship.
God loves us and desires our love. God’s love is exhibited through His actions towards us, and our love can be shown by the way we honor Him. Our honor for Him is displayed in our obedience to His commands. We show Him love when we prioritize Him above our worldly desires.
When we honor Him, we see His blessings manifest through favors and spiritual growth. Contrarily, when we dishonor Him, we subject ourselves to an invisible wall that sets us far from God and from enjoying the enriching life He wants for us.
As we meditate on God’s word from 1 Samuel 2:30, let us get back to the merciful God, repenting, and committing to honoring Him with our time, treasures, and talent. Amen.
