September 14

Sep 14 - Today from Proverbs 14 we look at verse 31
"He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God."

Ask any believer, "Do you want to honor God?" I am quite sure the response would be a solid "Yes." Then ask, "What does it mean to honor God?" You may hear one of dozens of responses:

"To respect Him."
"To obey Him."
"To live like a good Christian."
"To appreciate Him."
"To be grateful to Him."

These, combinations of these, and additions to these are sure to be plentiful - and correct. The word 'honors' in today's verse incorporates all of these thoughts - and so much more. The literal translation from the Hebrew means 'to be heavy' or 'to make weighty'. That, my friend, is worth meditating on.
Let's say you had to stay late in the office one day, and for the first time you met the cleaning lady who comes in after hours. Her clothes are neat, but you can tell that they have seen a lot of wear. You can see just by looking at her countenance that she carries a heavy burden in her heart. You give her a friendly greeting, and she responds with a warm but tired smile. You engage in conversation with her as she does her work and you discover that she lives in a small apartment with her three children. Her thirteen year-old daughter cares for the younger two while she works. She worries about her children. She only holds fear for their future. "Have you ever heard about Jesus?" you ask. Yes, she's heard about Him, and about many other spiritual faiths. She doesn't have time to pursue a God who remains distant toward her and her kids. She spends every waking minute trying to provide and care for them.
"Believe me, God loves and cares for you and your children very much," you say. . .

Where do you see the conversation going from here? Even more importantly, how are you going to honor God in this situation? You told the woman that God loves and cares for her very much. How are you going to make that statement weighty?
I'm not going to finish the story. You have to do that. We have to do that in practical ways every day. If we really want to honor God, we have to give weight to our testimony through our attitudes and actions. James writes in chapter 2:14-16, "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" Intentions alone do not honor God -- actions do. Intentions alone are not the evidence of faith in God -- actions are. How can we call ourselves 'people of the faith' or 'God-honoring' and never give weight to our Lord Jesus' claim, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18, 19)?
Do you want to honor God? Find the opportunity today to carefully read Isaiah 58 - and then prayerfully ask God how you can honor Him in light of this truth. It is His Word. It is His heart. He proved His intention at the cross. How can we prove ours? The Spirit of the Lord is on you. He has anointed you. He has called you to be His witness. God is very serious. How serious are we?