7月16日

標　　題：神重看尊敬祂的人

經　　節：因為尊重我的，我必重看他；藐視我的，他必被輕視。（撒母耳記上二章30節下）

神國的其中一個真理就是，如果我們尊榮神，神必重看我們。如果我們膽敢藐視祂，我們在祂的國度中也會被輕視。主動權在於我們。我們對神的反應決定神對我們的反應。

以利作以色列祭司已有多年，他知道神公義生活的標準。然而，以利面對一個兩難的處境，他兒子們的生活得罪神。身為父親，以利必須決定自己到底看重什麼。他可以不順著那不道德、不敬虔的兩個兒子，而高舉他所事奉的神。但以利卻選擇看重自己的兒子，沒有堅持兒子們務要遵循神的標準。以利可能會抗辯自己仍然很愛神，只是他沒辦法使家人尊重神。神對以利的行為有不同的看法（撒母耳記上三：13∼14）。當以利在以色列百姓面前不能尊榮神，他允許自己的兒子對神不敬畏，顯示出他真正的內心。這就是為什麼神嚴厲地懲罰他與他的兩個兒子（撒母耳記上四：17∼18）。

如果你在教會讚美神，在工作場合的表現又是另一回事，那是不能討神歡喜的。如果你不在學校或鄰居面前尊榮祂，單與基督徒一起尊榮神，這是不被神所接受的。祂期待你能以你的話語、你的行為、你的生命，全人地尊榮祂。如果你尊榮神，神必重看你。

God Honors Those Who Honor Him

For those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. (1 Samuel 2:30b)

One of the many truths of the kingdom of God is that if we will honor God, He will honor us. If, however, we dare to treat Him disrespectfully, we will also be treated as least in His kingdom. The initiative rests with us. Our response to God determines His response to us.

Eli had been the priest of Israel for many years, and he knew the standards for righteous living that God required. Yet Eli faced a dilemma, for his sons were living in direct opposition to God. As their father, Eli had to decide whom he would honor. He could not defer to his immoral and ungodly sons and also exalt the God he served. By default, Eli chose to honor his sons, for he did not insist that their behavior conform to God’s standards. Eli would have pleaded that he still loved God but that he simply could not bring honor to God with his family. Yet God viewed Eli’s behavior differently (1 Sam. 3:13–14). Eli revealed his own heart when he failed to honor God before the people of Israel by the way he dealt with his sons. This is why God punished Eli and his sons severely (1 Sam. 4:17–18).

God is not pleased if you praise Him at church but not at your workplace. It is not acceptable for you to revere God when you are with other Christians but not in your school or neighborhood. He expects you to honor Him completely, with your words, with your actions, with your life. If you honor Him, He will honor you.