Honor: A Great Virtue

Tonight I was at Church, almost wishing I had watched the Superbowl, and God blew me away.

I wish I could realize how good God is to me more often. He has bought me through thick and thin, through loss and through gain, through darkness and into light, and has been by my side even when nothing was happening.

The past few weeks I have been hearing lots about Honor as a lost virtue. It seemed like a good subject to talk about, and I agreed with everything the preachers said... and then tonight happened. I was lost in wonder and awe at how good God is to me, and how he wants to heal people through honor.

Nate was talking tonight about David and Saul and how Saul was hunting after David to kill him because he was afraid of him and jealous of him. There were several opportunities for David to kill Saul and have his problem ended, yet in honor he humbled himself and asked "Who am I to lay a hand on that which my God has anointed?" even when there were prophecies that said that God was going to give David's enemy over to him so that he could do as he pleased to him. In the end, Saul died and their relationship was never healed, but honor is something that is so pleasing to God.

Just lastnight I blew up on my room mate and did something that was not so honorable as I stormed out of the room so that I could cool off.

Listening to this message convicted me soo much... I could not honor my roommate in something that was so meaningless when David was able to honor someone who was trying to kill him. Someone was out for David's head and he STILL honored him!!!!! I was definately not seeking God in this situation and was not honoring myself or my roommate.

The good thing is, I am still His Beloved in whom he is well pleased.

I was so upset with myself that I didn't want to come back to my room lastnight, yet I did because I didn't want to sleep in another dorm on some uncomfortable couch. I wrote some things down that were quite filled with emotion and made me look like an angel; but now I realize that what I was writing was not very loving.

I love how God speaks to us. At the end of the sermon, Nate asked those who knew they were called to leadership to come forward so that they could pray for us. I feel like this was also God working on my pride, because I am usually not the one to go forward for prayer, yet tonight I did. Two awesome men of God prayed for me and it was very encouraging.

One man that I respect soo much prayed for me. He layed his hands on my head and shoulder and prayed into my ear with his deep booming voice. He assured me that I was a man of God, His Beloved, that God was well pleased with me, and that God was working on my character, a character that is worth working for. Oh how I thank God for Ed Klose.

God overwhelmed me soo much with His love and His goodness tonight.

Lord,
I thank you for nights like these where you stir me up. I thank you that you are soo good to me. You overwhelm me with your love and goodness. Lord help me to live for an audience of one. Lord from here on out I want to orient my life around You first and foremost, because nothing matters without You.
Your Beloved servant,
James