GOD SEES +
God is not unaware of your faithfulness. Following the destruction of Jerusalem as written about in Jeremiah, and Nebuchadnezzar’s removal of most of the people who remained in the area (at least, most of those with education, strength, and money). Only the poor remained in the land. God told them to take possession of the vineyards, houses, and land. There was little else remaining. We often think that the prophets only spoke to or provided healing for the national leaders. They did much more. Often they had a circuit of cities they would travel to where ordinary people would appeal to them for healing from God, or direction from God. This is how God provided for the prophets; people paid them for their godly insights and healings. We see something of this in Jeremiah 39:11-18. The city has been destroyed. The rich, young, and important have been exiled to Babylon. The remaining people are in disarray. Yet God has a word for a non-Jew. His name was Ebed-melech, an Ethiopian follower of God, and God had not been unaware of his faithfulness. God wanted him to know that everything was going to be OK. Nice that God sees our faithfulness, not just our sins.
God rewards faithfulness. How many Christians do not know what this means? We might feel that our hard work and dedication go unnoticed, but God sees every act of faithfulness. The Scriptures remind us that commitment and our unwillingness to depart from His purpose will not go unrewarded.
Here are just a few verses which support the idea:
“And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” – Hebrews 11:6
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” – James 1:12
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” – Colossians 3:23-24
“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” – Hebrews 10:35-36
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28
GOD IS LOVE
This is one of the most understood things about God. I’ve met people who equate God’s love with His stupidity. They say, for example, “God is love, so no one will be sent to Hell.” God is not stupid. Think! There would be no purpose for God to tell us how He wants us to behave if God didn’t care whether we do as He says.
For example, a wife loves her husband, but finds out he has been cheating on her. He has been having relations with his secretary, a waitress, and his wife’s cousin. What should she do? Should she permit her love for him to allow him to abuse the marriage and her without consequences? Nope. She should confront his unfaithfulness and maybe divorce the cheater. Neither of those denies her love for him. They do, however, make the problem his.
So, people think that because God loves them He would never deny them heaven or peace of soul. But they are misidentifying God’s love as stupidity. Love is a path best walked in pairs.
What many fail to understand is that love does not cross the bridge alone. If person B is not faithful and loving in return, then person A’s love cannot drag the him along to the reward of love.
The nation of Israel, later the kingdom of Judah, found out the hard way that God’s love meant that He would reward unfaithfulness with DEATH, not peace. They weren’t even trying to be faithful.
In loving human relationships neither party can be perfect, mistakes and errors are made, selfishness is displayed, bad attitudes play out. That is only half the case in a God/believer relationship. God is faithful to the very end, but the believer fails continually. God works His grace to cover a multitude of sins as long as the human believer intends to be loving. Humans can’t be perfect, but they can be faithful. That is all that God requires after our sins have been forgiven … faithfulness. There is no Scriptural requirement for us to sin in any way after we have committed our lives to Him. I know several who fail to fail; so it is possible to be holy. In fact, the closer to God one gets the harder it is to fail. God Himself keeps the conscience clean through the indwelling Holy Spirit if we allow Him to do it.
Copyright 2025 Donald Whelpley
[PLEASE NOTE that Don is always open to discussing the thoughts and opinions he shares here and welcomes comments as shared in the comment section. He doesn’t use other social media platforms and won’t see whatever you’d like to share with him if you post it elsewhere.
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