Dangers of Dishonor

Malachi 2:2 If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name,” says the Lord of hosts, “then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart.

This is very difficult to digest but it is in the Word of God. Some of the most important things are the hardest to swallow. We serve a merciful and gracious God. His Word says that he is slow to anger and abounding in love. However, we also serve a God who is Holy and we are to serve Him with awesome fear and reverence taking to heart His Word and being obedient.

We see many instances in scriptures where there were consequences for disobedience and dishonor to the Lord. Hophni and Phinehas, Saul sacrificing before Samuel arrived, Ananias and Sapphira, Jezebel, I’ll just stop there. We don’t like to discuss things like this but we certainly should. We need to hear the truth and have conviction grip us once again and be brought to our knees searching our hearts before the Lord. Our God is a jealous God, He does ask for honor. He requires it, His holiness alone is so overwhelming we could not withstand it. We see a glimpse of this when the Lord passes by Moses in Exodus 33 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”

We can read stories about the price of dishonor but my encouragement is to come to an awareness of the Holiness of God, return to honor and we will never find ourselves wanting in His balances. Conviction is necessary for growth, and though painful it leads to Godly repentance that puts us in right standing with the Lord.

Search your heart today and if you’ve dishonored him with your words or deeds, repent and choose to be a man or woman that stands for the Honor of a Holy God.

Pastor Benaiah Snider