Recognizing God’s rewards

One of the greatest blessings of my life has been to carry the title of “preacher’s wife.” That role has provided me the opportunity to be part of some of the most significant moments in people’s lives. 

I have witnessed the power of faith sustain people in times of tragedy. I have seen people’s faith grow over the years, and I’ve walked with people whose faith had faltered. It has been a privilege to share these moments and I’ve learned a lot in the process.  

Growing older has a few downsides, but I am so grateful to all of the people who have been amazing examples to me of the power of faith. Their faith made me want to be faithful. Their strength, their redemption, their struggles, and their joys have been examples for my life. 

After many years, I have come to understand what the author of Hebrews was talking about when he wrote, “[God] rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Do you recognize God’s rewards in your life? 

The Hall of Faith

Hebrews 11 has often been called God’s “Hall of Faith.” The author of Hebrews is unknown, but the top four options are Barnabas, Apollos, Luke, or Silas. 

My husband, Jim, votes for Apollos, but I like to think it was Barnabas. I’ve often said that as soon as I get to heaven, Barnabas is one of the first people I would like to meet! Paul’s entire ministry was quite likely made possible by the fact that Barnabas joined him, endorsing his faith as genuine. The author of Hebrews never speaks of himself by name, indicating that the author was well known and well thought of.  

We do know that the author of Hebrews, whoever he was, was well acquainted with the Jewish faith. Chapter 11, the “Jewish Hall of Faith,” mentions the faith of many Old Testament people from Cain and Abel forward. 

Early on, a statement is made about the faith of Enoch and the fact he was taken to heaven before his death. That statement is the only thing we know about Enoch. The author of Hebrews wants the reader to understand that Enoch’s faith was rewarded by God and that’s why he was taken to heaven. The author said, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). 

The Hall of Faith states an important truth that all Christians can claim for their lives: God rewards faith. 

What is the faith that God rewards?

All of us want to believe that God will reward our lives. All of us should believe that God does reward our lives. But, what does Scripture make clear about the faith God rewards? 

First, God rewards the faith of people who will draw near to him, knowing he exists. 

At some point in our faith journey, we must move past hoping God is real. We must enter into a faith relationship with God that knows him as a personal reality. How do we come to know God is real? We need only “draw near” and experience his Presence and his power in our lives. When we walk with God’s Spirit, we are fully aware of his reality. 

Second, we must recognize his rewards in our lives. 

God blesses his children often because his blessings are a product of his perfect love. God’s children don’t always recognize his blessings, however. God’s blessings are what he designs for our lives, and that might now be the design we want for ourselves. God’s children normally suffer the same afflictions as non-Christians in this world. The difference is the way God can redeem affliction in the lives of the faithful. His reward is for those who allow and embrace his redemption, through faith. 

That is why Paul wrote this great truth in Romans 8:28: “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Paul and the author of Hebrews were teaching the same lesson: God rewards the faith of those who will draw near to him, believing he exists. 

That is the promise of Scripture. 

God’s great rewards

One day we will receive a mansion in glory and live with the blessings of heaven. But it would be a mistake to consider heaven our only reward from God and therefore miss the rewards that he provides each day. God rewards our faith. 

The greatest reward for our earthly lives is our faith. We walk through this life knowing there is a God. We can expect our faith to be rewarded. What do his rewards look like? 

  • We have hope, even when we despair.
  • We have his love, even when we are disappointed by others.
  • We have his strength, even when we are weakened.
  • We have his joy, even when we are sad.
  • We have his direction, his mercy, his forgiveness, and his voice of comfort.

How did God reward your faith this week? 

Look for God’s rewards

My favorite beatitude is “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). A preacher will often say, “Only the pure in heart can see God.”  

Faithful people know God exists and is present in their lives. They draw near to him in pure-hearted faith and they can “see God.” The ability to see God at work in our lives and in the lives of others is a great reward. I have been blessed by glimpsing the reality of God in the faithful lives of so many people. My daily reward is seeing God in the lives of his faithful servants. 

I know God exists. I see him, and I talk to him. I see God in circumstances that just fall into place. I see God in the strength of people who would have every reason to feel weak instead. I see God in the beauty of nature and in the power of nature. God creates and God is redeeming his creation. 

When is the last time you were tangibly aware of the reality of God at work in your life? 

If it has been too long, then choose to believe with faith and draw near to his Presence.  

Scripture promises to “reward” you when you do. 

How is your 401“e” doing?

I’m not sure why the tax season coincides with the Easter season, but it seems a prophetic correlation. Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). 

I’ve been surrounded by forms, receipts, payments, household improvements, medical bills, donations, and a bunch of tax documents that say how much we spent, how much we earned, and how much we still owe. 

Tribulation comes in a lot of ways and the tax season is in my top twenty! 

As much as I hate messing with the tax season, it is a good review each year. All of the paperwork and number crunching is a good reminder of our choices and priorities. Easter, however, is the ultimate review of all that God feels is most important. 

In a word, it is “us.” 

What does God spend?

John 3:16 is the best description of what God spent for our sakes. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). 

That one verse describes God’s priorities. God loves “us.” He loved his creation. He loved this world. He loved his Son. He loved us with that same perfect love because he can’t love us with less than his best.  

God didn’t just spend; he gave. 

When I compared the money we spent to the money we gave, the two totals were very different. We enjoy supporting God’s work in the world and giving what we don’t need to people who do need it. 

But, the things we gave away were mostly the things we didn’t use or need anymore. When it comes to our income, God asks for a tithe and lets us have most of it for ourselves. But God gave his Son for our eternal salvation and sanctification. 

If we gave everything we owned, our offering would still not come close to the gifts we have received from our Lord.

What does God value?

God gave us Jesus so that whoever believes in him would never die. Whoever believes in Jesus will have eternal life in heaven. God values things that are eternal. God values everyone so he gave Jesus to everyone. God values our eternal lives; therefore, God gave what was necessary for us to live eternally. 

Now, God values our earthly lives with an eternal perspective. We are loved as his children. We are encouraged, led, and gifted to spend our earthly lives with eternal priorities. He wants to “store up” those things that will be treasure in heaven. 

Your 401“e” – are you planning for your eternity?

My taxes are done and the checks are in the mail. Another year, another return, and another thick file for our records. Whew!!! It is a GOOD FEELING to shut that drawer. 

It would be easy to focus on all that it costs to live in this world. It’s more important to remember that this life is temporary and if we have all that we need to send those checks, we are blessed! 

I remember our first years of marriage when paying taxes meant we had to be careful with our grocery shopping and gas money. We learned how to save for the future, and, while it still isn’t “fun” to write the checks, it is fulfilling to know we are able. 

As we get older, it is also fulfilling to know we have planned for our future. We have been blessed to serve several churches, and now our current ministry, that have wanted to help us save for retirement. There is a sense of security to have invested money toward those years. Thank you, Lord, for things like a 401(k) and other investments. That said, we are hopeful the “roller-coaster” graph will start that uphill climb again sometime soon. The “drops” do make my stomach turn just a bit! 

That’s why our 401“e”s need to be the most important investment we make. The “e” stands for eternity. The “k” in 401(k) stands for a specific IRS code that describes earthly retirement money. We work hard to invest in our 401(k)s, and we should work much harder to invest in things that will matter for all eternity. 

How do you invest in your 401“e”?

God made sure we would know how to invest our earthly lives in eternal priorities. We don’t have to wonder if our 401“e”s are doing well on that roller-coaster graph. 

Consider these verses: 

  • “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lᴏʀᴅ require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).
  • “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15–17).
  • “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Timothy  6:17).
  • “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6).

There are so many verses in Scripture that define right, eternal priorities. I can sum them up by saying that when you have filed your last tax return here on earth, you will be presented with your treasure in heaven. 

Your 401“e” will take care of you for all eternity, and every day the Lord gives you on earth will provide the chance to make deposits that will benefit you forever. 

We can live with Easter priorities all year long

I’m glad our taxes are done and we can put that thick file in the drawer! But I’m also glad the annual reminder comes during this time of year. 

I am still grateful for our government and this country, even though it seems to get costlier each year. I honestly don’t want to call any other country home. So, I will pay taxes until I go to heaven and look forward to the day I live in my eternal home.  

If we can live with an Easter perspective all year, we will live more invested in God’s priorities than this world’s. We will file our last tax return one day and we will exchange this life for our lives eternal.  

How is your 401“e” doing? 

Easter is a good time to consider that graph line and make any necessary adjustments to send it or keep it on that steep upward climb. 

Your eternal investments will last forever.