Honor God and the Elderly

Prayer – Lord, I want to honor and worship You. I respect—even fear—You for You are worthy of all honor, power and glory. If only everyone would give You the honor and respect that You are due. You have value to me…the greatest of all. 

Stand up in the presence of the elderly, and show respect for the aged. Fear your God. I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:32

 

Meditate. Consider God’s guidance in scripture. Read God’s word and listen to what He is saying.

 

When was the last time you saw someone stand up in the presence of an older person?

            This was a directive given by God to Moses for the Israeli people. It was not the first time, nor the last, that Moses told the Israelites to respect and love their God. (Underlined scripture below for emphasis.)

Ten Commandments
Love God and obey His commands

These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the LORD your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the LORD your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life. Listen closely, Israel, and be careful to obey. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you. Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Fear, or respect, God. There are lots of other references to “fear” as wisdom throughout the Bible.

My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the LORD grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. Proverbs 2:1-9

 

Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever! Psalm 111:10

 

Fear of the LORD teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor. Proverbs 15:33

 

Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28

 

"Fear God," he shouted. "Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water." Revelation 14:7

In respecting elders—especially our parents or their memories—we are honoring God since one of the Ten Commandments is to honor your father and mother. What is your choice today? What are you doing to honor elders and God?

 

Verse of Salvation ~ Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. Philippians 2:12

 

© 2024 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm. 

 

Books by Mickey M. Hunacek

Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com

 

Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories