For those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.
1 Samuel 2:30
One of the many truths of the kingdom of God is that if we will honor God,He will honor us. If, however, we dare to treat Him disrespectfully,we will also be treated as least in His kingdom. The initiative restswith us. Our response to God determines His response to us. Eli hadbeen the priest of Israel for many years, and he knew the standardsfor righteous living that God required. Yet Eli faced a dilemma, for his sons were living in direct opposition to God. As their father, Elihad to decide whom he would honor.
He could not defer to his immoraland ungodly sons and also exalt the God he served. By default, Elichose to honor his sons, for he did not insist that their behaviorconform to God’s standards. Eli would have pleaded that he still lovedGod but that he simply could not bring honor to God with his family.Yet God viewed Eli’s behavior differently (1 Sam. 3:13–14). Elirevealed his own heart when he failed to honor God before the peopleof Israel by the way he dealt with his sons. This is why God punishedEli and his sons severely (1 Sam. 4:17–18). God is not pleased if youpraise Him at church but not at your workplace. It is not acceptablefor you to revere God when you are with other Christians but not inyour school or neighborhood. He expects you to honor Him completely,with your words, with your actions, with your life. If you honor Him,He will honor you.
