Honoring God by Living out His Commands

Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands.  -Psalm 112:1

So often in today’s world our integrity will be tested in the area of how we handle finances.  Consider the case of a Utah man named Jerry Mika.  According to a news source, he received in the mail a check from the Utah Department of Commerce that should have been for around 15.00.  But someone at the department had made a mistake and the amount on the check was actually $ 2,245,342.00.  Mika said, “I did keep thinking about all the things I could have done with the money.  Who wouldn’t?” Mika contacted the commerce department and returned the check.  Francine Giani from the commerce department said, “Clearly we have an honest citizen.  I wish I could do something more than say thanks.”   I don’t know of Mr. Mika is a Christian or not, the article didn’t say, but clearly this is a biblical principle at work.  The one who seeks to walk with God lives a life characterized by honesty and integrity and there is never any question about those qualities.  Why is that?  It’s because we understand that the blessings of God reside upon us when we delight in God's commands and do what is right – all of the time and without exception.

The one who delights in God's commands might do something like this: We find a wallet by the side of the road and it contains several hundred dollars and an ID.  The godly man or woman, the person who is seeking to honor God, goes and finds the rightful owner and returns the money.  Those who reject God's Word and God's commands might take another approach: simply keep the money – finder’s keepers right?  The Scripture teaches that such thinking is rejected outright by those seeking to honor God and live in His blessings.

Followers of Jesus Christ will strive to live lives that reject the evil that exists in the world.  This goes beyond a simple obeying of the rules.  We will do that, but we will also take it a step further.  We will demonstrate godliness and integrity in all areas of life, when others are watching and even when we are all alone.  Seeking to walk with God means that we will help those in need, we will be honest at all times, and we will shine forth the light of Jesus Christ to a world that is longing for hope.

The troubled soul finds comfort, strength, and encouragement by living a life that honors God - in all aspects.  Let the light of Jesus Christ shine forth from your life today, and delight in God's Word, way, and commands.