Honor Your Parents???Shembull

Our key verse for this Bible Plan has been:  “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—  “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Ephesians 6: 2-3 

So that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on earth.

I’m not sure if Ruth lived to a ripe old age. But I don’t believe this verse is a promise that if we honor our parents, we are guaranteed to live to a 103. God doesn’t make transactions and petty deals with His creation. What it does mean is that we will receive the Lord’s favor because there is blessing in obedience

Ruth was rewarded for the way she lived. She became the great-grandmother of David and was included in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew Chapter 1). Friends, there is blessing in living God’s way. We honor God by honoring our parents. 

I wrote this tribute to parents on my blog a few years ago, and I’d like to share it again for this devotional:

Let’s celebrate the parents of the previous generation, the parents who unflinchingly went about their tasks of building their children up, without anyone mentioning that they were, in fact, doing the hardest job in the world. They weren’t perfect. Not by a long shot. They said things they shouldn’t have. They didn’t say things they should have. But, they did what they knew. And they did what they thought best. 

Let’s take a minute today to say thank you. Thank you to the parents who gave unconditionally, who listened undistractedly, who laughed unreservedly, who disciplined wisely, and who worked tirelessly to make us who we are today.

Let’s pray: Father God, The calling to honor our parents is high and holy. We can’t ignore or dismiss it. And we simply can’t do it in our own strength. So we call on You. We thank you that when You call us, You also equip us. In Jesus’ name, Amen