Honor

Recently I saw a movie that almost broke my heart, but the writer left me with a message I will not forget. A young boy was battling a rare, aggressive brain cancer, and he was losing the fight. HIs body was not responding to the prescribed treatments.

At one point, this boy was tormented by a classmate. He was viciously teased about being bald, and his eyebrows were starting to disappear. His best friend, who happened to be a girl, took him to chat with her beloved grandfather. When the children told him about the hatefulness, he said, "They are teasing you because they are jealous." The kids looked at him dumbfounded.

The grandfather continued, "They are jealous because you are the famous one, chosen by God for the honor of being one of His warriors. You are riding forth victoriously in truth, humility, and righteousness. People look at their lives as they observe your courage and strength. Warriors point these lost ones to God."

I honestly do not know if that is why God allows our world and our precious ones to be stricken with chronic or terminal illnesses, but I do know that He uses us in so many different ways. If our trials and tragedies point others to our Savior, I do think He is certainly being honored.

Honor is the highest respect we can offer, and such praise involves public esteem of another person and his or her reputation. Genesis 45:13 says, "Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly."

Joseph wants his father to hear about and to even see all the honor that has been accorded him in Egypt for his wealth, riches, grandeur, dignity, power, and authority. Joseph's house was magnificent with all of its servants. His majestic chariot was second only to the king. He had been given authority over the people, and they reverenced him. He had power, particularly over the distribution of corn.

According to Matthew Henry, Joseph "desires that his father may speedily be made glad with the tidings of his life and dignity. He knew it would be a refreshing oil to his hoary head and a sovereign cordial to his spirits. If anything would make him young again, this would. He is very earnest that his father and all his family should come to Egypt."

In Exodus 12:42 we are told, "Because the LORD kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the LORD for the generations to come."

Matthew Henry says, "Memorable was the destruction of the Egyptians, and the deliverance of the Israelites by it. That remarkable night was to be celebrated in all generations."

God's power, wisdom, goodness, truth, and faithfulness are plainly displayed to the Israelites, and to us through His Word.

No one exists who is more worthy of our honor, praise, or respect than God Almighty. He deserves fame and glory from us, His created beings. The great things God has done for His people and continues to do for His people are not to be remembered for just a fleeting moment, but remembrance of His deeds and who He is, should be perpetuated throughout all the ages, especially His redemptive work through Christ Jesus!

Shall we not commit anew to celebrating Him? Shall we not give Him the honor, praise, glory, and reverence that only He deserves?

Heavenly Father,
No one, and I mean no one, deserves the honor you do. May I never take you for granted! May I never place my respect and praise with another person or idol. You are my Creator, my Sustainer, and my Redeemer, and only you deserve glory. May I celebrate you anew every day! Amen.

Immeasurably More Than Extraordinary

My middle school home economics teacher was a stickler for accuracy. As we learned to cook, and especially to bake, every single ingredient had to be precisely measured with measuring cups or measuring spoons. Flour was spooned into the measuring cup, and a knife was moved over the top to level the dry ingredient perfectly. The same process was applied to all dry ingredients to ensure that each and every measure was just so. Paula Deen and Martha Stuart both subscribe to this technique, and they teach that the proper scientific measurements lend to success in baking. I still use these same techniques, 39 years after I first learned them.


Similarly, we tend to want to know exactly how our performances measure up to our rivals. We size up people and performances based upon manmade standards or measures. We especially use statistics to quantify sports' performances and to assess sales' performances. We ask:

What was your sales quota last month?  Did you beat it?

Where did you rank amongst the other sales reps?

How many rebounds did you have?

What were your R.B.I.'s?

We even try to measure a church's efficacy by how many people are seated in the sanctuary every Sunday.

So when Paul tells us that the Lord is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, and God's discourse in Job 38 focuses on all of His marvelous works that are beyond our full understanding and standards of measurement, how can our minds fully grasp God's majesty, His love, or what He could possibly accomplish in our lives?

Job 11:8-9 tells us that the mysteries of God and His limits are "higher than the heavens" and "deeper than the depths of the grave." "Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea."  I don't know about you, but my mind cannot begin to fathom just how big that is. Full comprehension of God's nature, designs, and character are beyond our human scope; He surpasses all the capacity of our intellect.

God is immeasurably more than extraordinary!  He is able to do immeasurably more!  He spoke this world, its vegetation, its people into existence from nothing. He placed stars in the heavens and called them by name.  He numbers the hairs on my head, and on yours, and He knew each of us while we were being knit together in our mothers' wombs.

I wish an English word existed for the phrase "immeasurably more than extraordinary."  I have searched and searched, and I cannot find any that begins to explain our God's "extraordinariness"... Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain (Psalm 139:6).

Why then do we make an effort?  Because 1 Corinthians 13:9 tells us, "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."

If we patiently seek Him now, if we persevere, we WILL see Him face to face; now we know in part - then one day (after we have passed from this earth) we will know Him fully!!

Meanwhile, the Spirit of God, residing in His children gives us the ability to perceive as much as is necessary (according to the measure that God bestows on each of us individually). We may not be able to measure His love or His plans out in our nice little cups, but He knows just exactly what is perfect and timely for each of us.

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."  Ephesians 3:14-21 NIV

Since God is more exceptional in His character, in His power, in His glory, in His majesty... how can I begin to imagine what to ask of Him, the One who is "immeasurably more than"?

"But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."  Romans 8:25-27

Dear Father, may I continue to pray to You who is not only 100% able, but who is able to do immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine. May I ask You to heal the bodies and spirits of my friends and family, so they may continue to minister powerfully in Your Name. Every time I get a glimpse of and experience your “immeasurably more than”, may I give you honor, praise, and glory forever and ever! May I proclaim You loudly, and may I live each and every day with the knowledge that one day I WILL know you fully and completely! What a promise that is! In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

What We Really Deserve

During this Christmas season, I paid close attention to television commercials. I diligently watched for that perfect gift I might otherwise miss! Well, I did not find that "I can't live without it" present, but I noticed a troubling, pervasive message in this year's advertising. One evening I heard the phrases "You deserve this," or "It is your right to"... over 15 times!  I was disgusted that advertisers are brainwashing gullible adults and teaching our impressionable children and grandchildren this detrimental concept of entitlement.


Romans 8:4 warns us, "Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires."

Scripture tells us that we deserve hell. Yes, you read that correctly. Our sinful nature since the falling of Adam and Eve affords us the right to live in hell for all eternity. That is what we deserve.

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

Knowing what I deserve and then realizing that God has specifically chosen to extend an extraordinary mercy to me overwhelms me. My heart literally overflows with gratitude.


Mercy is unmerited grace, compassion, and kindness. It is God's forgiveness of His creatures' offenses.1


Easton's Bible Dictionary defines mercy as:

"compassion for the miserable. Its object is misery. By the atoning sacrifice of Christ a way is open for the exercise of mercy towards the sons of men, in harmony with the demands of truth and righteousness (Gen. 19:19; Ex. 20:6; 34:6, 7; Ps. 85:10; 86:15, 16). In Christ mercy and truth meet together. Mercy is also a Christian grace (Matt. 5:7; 18:33-35)."2

Ponder that sentence, "In Christ mercy and truth meet together."3  The truth according to a Holy Lord is we deserve hell for all eternity, yet in His loving mercy, our LORD has provided the perfect atoning sacrifice (HIMSELF) to cleanse us of all guilt once and for all.

Just thinking about our LORD's mercy, kindness, compassion, and grace fills my inner being with love, my eyes with tears, and my mouth with praise.

Psalm 103:1-5; 8-18


1 Praise the LORD, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the LORD, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.

"His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations." Psalm 100:5 NKJV

"Jesus died…on purpose. No surprise. No hesitation. No faltering…


The journey to the cross didn’t begin in Jericho. It didn’t begin in Galilee. It didn’t begin in Nazareth. It didn’t even begin in Bethlehem. The journey to the cross began long before. As the echo of the crunching of the fruit was still sounding in the garden, Jesus was leaving for Calvary.


So what is mercy all about? It's not about me, and it's not about you. It is all about Jesus and His finished work on Calvary!"4 Max Lucado

Dear Heavenly Father,



Thank you for your abounding love, which you clearly manifested to us through your extension of mercy. Keep me from ever being conned into believing that I "deserve" or have the "right to" anything that is not clearly gifted to me by you. Protect me from the sin of entitlement, so I may spend my days praising you for the grace you have bestowed upon me. Amen!


1. mercy. Dictionary.com. Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mercy (accessed: January 02, 2011).


2. mercy. Dictionary.com. Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mercy (accessed: January 02, 2011).


3. mercy. Dictionary.com. Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mercy (accessed: January 02, 2011).


4.online devotion by Max Lucado, Everlasting Mercy, posted 09 Dec 2010 10:09 PM PST.