Win the game, get pizza. Have award ceremony, get a great meal and give gifts. Have a wedding and the grand reception to honor the bride and groom.
“29Why then to you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?” – 1 Samuel 2:29 (ESV)
Hold on, I want to be clear that celebration is not wrong. What I study here is that putting the celebration and honor of the event or people is wrong as we should be honoring God.
We should be looking at things from the context of how does this play out as we honor God. I know I have found myself in the position of not focusing on God and His will carried out in my life. Obedience to God and His commandments is where our focus should be.
“30Therefore 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.’” – 1 Samuel 2:30 (ESV)
God can rescind His promises just as He did to the house of Eli. Does He want to take away His promises, NO, but we are so disobedient at times, it is the discipline needed to get us back on the path to Him.
Our path is riddled with difficulty and adversity and joy and greatness. We have to be careful to honor God in all of those times and not just when it suits us.
Have you caught yourself honoring the event or the people when you should be honoring God? How can you turn that honor to God? Will you be careful to honor God instead of yourself as you move forward?
Trevor's Thoughts 