Exodus 20:12 "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul declares that this is the first commandment with promise (Ephesians 6:1-3). Living long in the land of promise was directly tied to giving honor to father and mother. My precious mother has been gone from this stage of life for nearly fifteen years, but I still try to honor her example of kindness and forgiveness in living by those examples. At the time of this writing, my father is only a few days away from his ninety-fifth birthday. He is still preaching the gospel of our Lord and Savior and encouraging those around him.
I realize that not everyone is blessed to have parents that show them love. They do not have good examples set before them to live by. They are ill-treated by their fathers and their mothers. It is heartbreaking to hear of the terrible way that some parents treat their children. Some have lost their parents to disease or accident at an early age and have no real memory of them.
Beloved, regardless of the circumstances with our natural parents, let me assure you that we have a Father who is worthy of honor. He has loved us with an everlasting love, and He has drawn us with loving kindness. He withholds nothing from us and delights in giving His children good gifts. His Church stands as our Mother (Galatians 4:26) to give us a place of succor and a family that we can hold dear.
By definition, honor is a weighty matter. It is not to be taken lightly. We have a Father who provides and protects and a Mother who is gentle and faithful. May we always be thankful for the spiritual land that the LORD our God has given us.