And Samuel said,
“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams.  1 Samuel 15:22

My word for 2014 is HONOR.  To honor God, I am, inch-by-inch, looking at ways that my life can, and hopefully does, honor Him.   Obedience is an aspect of honoring, pleasing the LORD of my life.  He is my Father, my LORD, both titles to which I owe respect and honor.  But those two words are not just titles; they are Who God is.  My earthly father taught me to respect him and obey him.  If I respected him, then surely I would respect my Creator, my Father.  It is an honor to give God all that I know to give Him from this lowly place I am on this earth.  God placed me here for His purposes.  Of course, I want to do things that are of my purposes, but by His will, I am to honor Him with all of me in the best way I possibly can.  Obedience:

שָׁמַע

shama` 

to listen to, to hear with attention or interest, to obey, be obedient, to yield to, give heed

“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?  Deuteronomy 10:12-13

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Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.  Isaiah 58:2

Besides obedience, I want to honor God with righteousness:

צְדָקָה

tsĕdaqah

piety, virtue, kindness, truthfulness, right relationship, vindication

Piety: a quality of being reverent;  Virtue: behavior showing high moral standards

He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly,
who despises the gain of oppressions,
who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe,
who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed
and shuts his eyes from looking on evil,

he will dwell on the heights;
his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks;
his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.

Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty;
they will see a land that stretches afar.  Isaiah 33:15-17

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He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.  Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.  Malachi 3:3-4

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Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the LORD.  Psalm 4:5

 Father, I lift my life to You, embracing this word, HONOR.  I am Your student and am learning just how You desire me to be in all respects.  Honoring You is what I most desire to do.  Hold me close as I learn and follow Your ways by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  I am so very grateful that You gave Him to me to be my guide while I live here on this earth.  May I place my trust in You, O LORD.  I pray this in the Name of Jesus.  Amen.

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