Thursday, November 3, 2016

Respect Comes With Wisdom

 The LORD himself has scattered them, and He no longer helps them. People show no respect for the priests and no longer honor the leaders. Lamentations 4:16

Do we show honor and respect here in the United States for our leaders—religious or political leaders? When this scripture was written the Jeremiah was crying out because of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Babylonians. What a horrible thing to have happen to a beloved city and the place where they worshiped the Lord! Do we have to wait until we have such utter destruction in the United States before we open our eyes to what is happening in our society? Respect comes with wisdom. Where is the wisdom…where is the respect…for our leaders…for our law enforcement, our military, our teachers, preachers…or even for our neighbor? Respect is taught…but most often “caught” by those around us—especially our kiddos. Our actions speak louder than our words is a phrase you’ve probably often heard in parenting circles. Think about it. If you get too much change at the store…do you give it back or smile gleefully? What do your kids learn about respect from that? Do you honor fire fighters, policemen, teachers, preachers, custodians, employers, and others by the way you acknowledge them…taking them cookies or small gifts/gift cards throughout the year? November is a time we traditionally focus on being thankful. When was the last time you thanked God for something besides the food on your table? Respect starts with wisdom. Be wise—give thanks—to God and to those around you.

Prayer ~ Lord God, thank you. Thank you for You…for the beautiful sunrise this morning. Thank you for Your Son, Jesus, who died that we can live eternally with You. Thank you for life…for love. Thank you for my family, friends, neighbors and those who lead throughout our nation…may You bless them today in ways that they feel Your presence and love in their lives. Thank you for this wonderful creation…trees, birds, animals, rivers, fish…flowers…. Thank You.



© 2016 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm

No comments: