My Rewarder
Monday, November 07, 2005
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things
not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we
understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the
things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
Hebrews 11:1-3 NKJV
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to
God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who
diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 NKJV
Those who want to please God and obtain His favor must believe that He
IS. Is what or is who? To please God you must not only believe that He
exists, but that He is who HE says He is–not who man says He is; not
who the devil says that He is. In human relationships, we make
decisions to act or react in a certain way based on our opinion of the
person we are interacting with. The more intimately we know and
understand the person, the more accurate our response to them will be.
If you are trying to please someone and you know what makes them happy,
sad, or mad, then you will tailor your actions accordingly. It’s really
frustrating to not be able to figure someone out, or to not know how
they tick. You never know how to please them. Some people live a
lifetime with another person and never learn to please them. This is a
very unsatisfying relationship for both parties. In order to have a
successful relationship, both parties need to know each other well and
to bend to accommodate the other person. Love, commitment, and
forgiveness are crucial components in a relationship.
In your relationship with the Lord, you need to get to know Him. You
need to get to know Him firstly through His Word–with clear, pure eyes,
not with religious eyes or with sinful eyes. Religion and sin are both
deadly to a healthy relationship with your Lord and Savior. Both of
them pervert your view of God and hinder the freedom of your
relationship and fellowship with Him. God is a good God and has
wonderful plans for you. He has made huge sacrifices for you and
continues to do so. He has done everything He can possibly do for you
and He is waiting for you to draw closer to Him so that He can protect
you and bless you and show you how much He loves you.
When you don’t understand God’s true character and nature, and when you
don’t understand the love of God, you will believe that He is angry
with you and against you. When you have sinned or when you are living
in your sin, you will usually react one of two ways to the Lord–you
will feel guilty and run away from Him, or you will transfer you guilt
by becoming angry at God and blaming Him for you situation. You could
not be more wrong!
People have a tendency to sin and then become angry and resentful
toward God because He did not protect them from the mess they now find
themselves in. You have a free will! You made your own decisions. You
chose your own actions. God has nothing to do with the curse that is
now on your life through disobedience. He has warned you over and over
of the consequences, but you thought that the rules did not apply to
you. You are responsible for your sin and you are responsible to make
it right with God.
In Psalms 51:1-4 NKJV David proclaimed, “Have mercy upon me, O God,
according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your
tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my
iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my
transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only,
have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight–that You may be found
just when You speak, and blameless when You judge.”
God is not your problem! God is never your problem. He is a righteous
Judge. He is not willing to condemn you. He so desires to acquit you,
forgive you, receive you to Himself, and bless you! You need to
acknowledge that your sin and disobedience brought you to this place of
frustration and defeat and repent. Then you need to submit your heart
and life to the Lord, press into Him like you never have before,
believing that He will hear you, meet you and reward you for your
diligent seeking.
When you do this, you will find out that He is a good God after all.
You will find out that He loves you, you will find out that He really
is a rewarder, and you will find the peace and the blessing that you so
desperately need.