Honor’s Uncommon Reward
Written by Jarred Rushing
(5 minutes)
There is a common theme in scripture when it comes to honor. The reward is always overflowing. I guess we could refer to it as honor's uncommon reward, because it is always more than enough. Honor's reward isn't exactly fair; it always seeks to give more than it has received.
We can see honor's uncommon reward in the story of Ruth and Boaz.
At mealtime, Boaz said to her, "Come here and eat with us. Here is bread, and wine to dip it in." Ruth immediately sat down with the workers. Boaz handed her some roasted grain, and she ate all she wanted until she was satisfied - she even had some left over. (Ruth 2:14)
After she had returned to gather grain, Boaz instructed his young men, "Let her glean even among the standing sheaves, and don't disgrace her. Pull out from the bundles some handfuls of grain and drop them on purpose for her to gather, and don't bother her." (Ruth 2:15-16)
Can you see honor's uncommon reward? Can you see the overflow? Can you see the excessive-ness of what comes back to those who honor? Boaz is orchestrating all of this. He is intentional about seeing Ruth reap more than what she has sown in honor.
There's a New Testament scripture that has the perfect way of describing this over-the-top response to honor.
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. (Romans 12:10)
Outdo one another in showing honor.
This is exactly what makes the reward of honor so uncommon, because it seems like honor is always trying to one-up the previous act of honor. Like it can't be outdone, or outshined. I believe Jesus calls us to outdo one another in showing honor, because He outdoes us in showing honor.
As we honor Yahweh, consistently over time, we begin to inherit a reward that outperforms and completely surpasses what we initially invested. Honor doesn't just attract a fair reward, it attracts an extravagant reward. The reward for our compounding acts of honor is always over-the-top, overflowing, and more than enough. We could say it like this: every time we sit down to dine with honor, we'll always be bringing home some left-overs. You always get more than you pay for. It's completely unfair in every way.
Jesus, our heavenly Boaz, is a first-hand witness to every one of our small, consistent acts of honor. Just like Boaz, He notices us. He invites us to the table to dine with Him, to eat until we are completely satisfied, and to bring home all the left-overs to share with others. He ensures that we will be provided for in the most uncommon, extravagant ways. He instructs His harvesters to intentionally go out of their way to drop handfuls of grain in our path. And He safeguards us as we enjoy His provision.
This is the uncommon reward of our honor.
(Sidenote: It may be uncomfortable for some of us to receive from Jesus in this way. You may even be prone to turning down the blessings that Abba is trying to bring into your life. In some ways we still feel undeserving. If that's you, let Jesus convince you today that you are absolutely worthy to receive from His heart and from His hand.)
Here's one last picture of how honor is measured in our lives.
After Jesus shared a parable about honoring the revelation-light that you receive from Him, he said, "Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." (Mark 4:24-25)
Do you see the uncommon reward of honor? By your standard of measurement it will be measured back to you, and MORE will be given to you. Honor's reward always starts at the baseline of the honor we have already shown, and then it proceeds to outshine it in every way.
And you can also see the path of dishonor in Jesus' words. That whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. If life flows through honor, then death flows through dishonor. Whatever we dishonor in life eventually fades away into nothing.
As we begin our walk with Abba today and even as we prepare our hearts for our family gathering on Sunday, let's be intentional about sowing seeds of honor. Remember, we have all been given tools that we can use to honor Yahweh and others -our time, our talents, our treasure, our thought-life, and the words on our tongue. We can use all of these to invest in acts of honor. Ask Abba to highlight all the ways you can honor Him today. Taking the time to read this daily writing was an act of honor. You may not have even noticed it, but Jesus did.
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Worship: "Fill My Cup" by Kingdom Culture Worship
Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place
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