GLORY AND HONOUR (WOMEN’S PROGRAM)

DEFINTION OF GLORY: it is great beauty. The beauty of something is the glory. Honour is recognizing the glory in others. Proverbs 31:30 (NIV): “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised”. The glory we are talking about is not the outward glory because it is deceitful.

The glory we shall be talking about today is the inner glory. Proverbs 11:16 (NIV): “A kindhearted woman gains honor, but ruthless men gain only wealth”. Gracious means to be kind and compassionate. When you are kind and compassionate, when you are a vessel unto honour, a vessel in the house of God, you will retain virtue. People see you and honour you and reverence the God in you.

UNIQUENESS OF WOMAN

Women are unique in creature. Until we understand our place before the Lord, we will not be able to do exploits. Some people feel women are inferior and second class being, that they should keep silent by their church and they shouldn’t speak. Genesis 1:27 In the first sentence, He was talking about man, the second sentence, He said, ‘them’, which means, a woman is created in the image of God. The scripture says that when God wanted to form man, He said let us make man in our own image and likeness, He moulded them out from the dust of the earth and He breathe into man and man became a living being. But when He wanted to make woman, the scripture says God caused man to fall into a deep sleep. The uniqueness of a woman; you cannot understand us all because of the uniqueness. You were sleeping, you were not aware of everything that went on. But the bible also says when Adam woke up, he saw the woman and said, ‘this is the bone of my bone and the flesh of my flesh, she shall be called woman because she was taken out of me’. When God was to design woman, He took His time to design her not from the dust but from the side of man as a companion close to His heart. That is why it baffles me when some men beat them. Why are you beating your own heart? Not from His head to rule over him but from his side, close to his heart as a companion, a lover, someone to cherish. The scripture says, God made them to be one. When you understand the scripture as a wife that two of you has become one, whether one pays the school fees, the fees has been paid. Whether it is wife that pays the rent or the husband, the rent has been paid. God can decide to bless one among the two, either the male or the female, all has been blessed. God has made us to be one with our husbands. We are one and not two; together and not divided. We should always show the good side, take a good decision. We were made to be a helper, a companion and helpmate to her husband. God has made us unique and made us to be a better woman and God will make us to be the best in Jesus’ name. amen. God deals with women directly. Judges 13:3–13 (NIV): “The angel of the LORD appeared to her and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean.  You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”  Then the woman went to her husband and told him, “A man of God came to me. He looked like an angel of God, very awesome. I didn’t ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name. But he said to me, ‘You will become pregnant and have a son. Now then, drink no wine or other fermented drink and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death.’ ” Then Manoah prayed to the LORD: “Pardon your servant, Lord. I beg you to let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born.” God heard Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman while she was out in the field; but her husband Manoah was not with her. The woman hurried to tell her husband, “He’s here! The man who appeared to me the other day!” Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he said, “Are you the man who talked to my wife?” “I am,” he said. So Manoah asked him, “When your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule that governs the boy’s life and work?” The angel of the LORD answered, “Your wife must do all that I have told her.Most times, we women are too busy that we cannot hear what God is saying because God deals with us directly. Just like Martha, doing the right thing at the wrong time, we will not be able to hear from God nor know what He wants from us. Back to the scripture, it says the angel of the Lord appeared to her, she told her husband, let this man visit us again because she never knew it was an angel and when the angel came again, he told the man, tell the woman to do that which I have told her, I am dealing with her personally. We women are special beings in the hands of God. Let us not commonize ourselves, let us not be like those who says women should keep silent, no. We have something in us to say. We are special in the hands of God. Let us not be like those people who will say women should keep silent. We have something in us to say. God is speaking to us, let us listen. Also, let us speak out. Luke 1:18–20 (NIV): “Zechariah asked the angel, ‘How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.’ The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time. Luke 1:34–35 (NIV): How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God”.That is the same Angel Gabriel that appeared to Zechariah, why didn’t he tell Mary that you are doubting be dumb. Instead, he took his time explaining things to her gently, because of her uniqueness, because of the glory and honour upon us. God deals with us directly. With our busy schedules, let’s find time to bring down our spirit and concentrate so that we might be able to do things God wants us to do. It is when we calm and relaxed, we are able to listen. Let us find time to study the Word of God, pray, know what God wants for you. We are not second-class citizens. He said in the image of God, He created them. He made us equal, not to rule over man but be by his side. But in our spiritual dealings, we can do that which man can do. If a man can preach, we can preach. If a man can pray we also, can pray, if a man can read the bible, a woman can read the bible. God deals with us directly, let us know this.CHARATERISTICS OF A WOMAN AS A VESSEL OF HONOUR. A woman of honour is virtuous and fears the Lord: Proverbs 31:30 (NIV): “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.The whole of proverbs 31 will tell you about a virtuous woman. She fears the Lord. She loves God. As a woman of God, do you love the Lord? How do we say we love God, when you love the things of God? We cannot say we love God when we don’t love the things of God. The things of God we should love and seek to do.A woman of honour is strong and courageous, she trusts in God and does not fear the future: Proverbs 31:25 (NIV): “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come”. Just like Sarah, God promised her a child through her husband, she doubted and she felt the promise of God would not be fulfilled. She gave her maid to her husband and after she had a child for Abraham, Haggai began to look at her somehow, she told Abraham and He told her to do as she pleases. She dealt with her and Haggai fled. But God will help us not to live such lives.A woman that honours God, fears God, reverence God, loves God, does the things of God. 1 Peter 3:4 (NIV): “Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight”. If you have the love of God in your heart and you fear Him, you will not treat or beat somebody else’ child anyhow. A woman of honour is humble and submissive to the will of God.

ROLE OF A WOMAN AS A VESSEL OF HONOUR

1. IN CHURCH
2. IN THE FAMILY

1. IN CHURCH:

Women are called to teach and mentor younger women in faith. Titus 2:3–5 (NIV): “Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God”. Sometimes, you may not even teach and people will want to imitate you. Let our lives, our characters, the words that we say nuture the younger women in the church. Don’t give them bad advice you would not even do. The scripture says we should tame our tongue. Some people, the problem that they have is that they talk too much. What concerns them and what does not, they put mouth in it. Let’s mind our business as children of God and mentor the younger women.Women are called to serve and contribute to the work of the church. Romans 16:1–2 (NIV): “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me”. Women can prophesy. What men can do, we can also do it. IN THE FAMILY: Women are called to love and respect their husbands. Ephesians 5:33 (NIV): “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband”. Let’s love our husbands and respect them. Let’s honour them and do that which is good unto them. Women are to manage their households well. Know how to manage your home very well.

BLESSINGS OF BEING A WOMAN AS A VESSEL OF HONOUR

They are blessed and highly favoured. It is not everything you struggle to get. Kneel down and tell God what you want. Honour God and He will honour you.A woman who honours God is rewarded with legacy of faith. 2 Timothy 1:5 (NIV): “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also”.They are praised and respected. Proverbs 31:28–31 (NIV): “Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Honour her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate”. People will see you and respect you without you asking for it. As women, we are unique and special. The crown that God has given to us, let us not drop it. The scripture says, there’s a way that seems right to a man but the end thereof, is destruction. Do not imitate bad, follow the Word instead. Don’t imitate what people in this world are doing. The god of this world has blinded their eyes not to see the good. The standard, the map and guide for us as women of God is the Word of God. As we continue to abide in the Word, it will bless us in Jesus’ name.