31 Days December 2007 Count Down - Day 5

Today, dear Lord, I am thankful for "Exodus 20:12!!! "

Exodus 20: 12 (New living Translation) 12 “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

That's a strange Thank you note isn't it?
I am thankful for the immense, unspeakable, unquantifiable joy that I have experienced and still experiencing, when I embrace that verse. In my life, and more so this very year, I have experienced unspeakable Joy, favour, elevation, increase, peace, calm and unquantifiable happiness, from simply living according to Exodus 20:12!!!

To simply see my parents settled, hear my father's soft, yet shaky laughter; my mother's teasings, her prayers as I walk through her very own front door! To see the joy on their faces, the love they give freely, regardless of all they have been through; that in itself is the best reward! But guess what? As if that wasn't enough, God goes and tops all that up with more blessings! Like I keep saying, He is too awesome for words!

To honor one's parents, especially in today's society, is definitely NOT an easy task, but do it, we have to and must, all the same.

Looking at Exodus 20:12 closely, it says " Then you will have long life" LONG LIFE!!! Ha! Have we looked around us lately? The mortality rate at the moment, is quite scary! The various ways the enemy uses to shorten lives is too many to mention! One of which is the nature and culture of selfishness; a 'me' society; where everyone is after themselves, attack on family life and removal of respect for one self and elders! Lives, which are filled to brim with all the goodness God put into it, going to the graves unused, untouched!

Reading the verse further, it continues to say " Then you will have long FULL life" Not only will we have a long life, but we will have a FULL one! I liken full here to mean, filled with all sorts of God's richness; Blessings, gifts, inspiration, love, friendship, comfort and many more! You name it, our lives will be filled with such blessings when we simply act out the reality of Exodus 20:12!!! Isn't that wonderfully amazing?

Ephesians 6: 1 - 3 builds on this command even further, it reads:
1Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
2Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;
3That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

Imagine that! The first commandment with a PROMISE ! And you know our God is a just God huh? He WILL keep His promises!

So yup, today dear, wonderful, beautiful, magnificent father, my daddy; I bring to you, my box of thanksgiving, filled to the brim with thanksgiving for Exodus 20:12. I thank you for the ability to walk and experience it's reality and it's blessings. I pray daddy, that my box of thanks, is pleasant in thy sight, and that it emits a sweet smelling fragrance in your presence, in Jesus name. Be glorified.

Beautiful people, HERE IS YOUR INVITATION, WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL TO THE LORD FOR, THIS VERY DAY.

Have a wonderful day presenting your box of thanks to the God who resides way above the heavens, yet reaches down to give us ear; not forgetting to make Him famous, even more so than yesterday.

Exodus 20:12

Dear Mum and Dad

have no fear

For exodus 20:12,

I promise to always be here

Honor you I will

for it's God's desire

the essence of the father's will

A blessing it is

simply to have

you both still here

©Remi Banjo, December 2007