Do What is Right and Persevere, God Will Reward You

Hi Guys!

Thank you for all the support and the love that you have showed me through this blog and I hope that I can return the favor with encouragement in Christ and through His word.  I was reading in James today (A side note, I absolutely love that book) and through some of Paul's letters and I was encouraged in the promises of the gospel!

I struggle with waiting patiently for things to come, especially when the timing seems to just make sense.  I selfishly want these done on my time and when I see fit.  That is the case not only when I am good things, but in my trials as well.  It is hard to press through when it just seems like you are getting no where or that your efforts are in vain.  I want to encourage you to keep pressing though, keep fighting, and keep doing good works.  Your reward will be great, in this life or the next. (Mark 10:29-31, Romans 8:18)

^"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4) This is crazy, if you think about it.  Consider it pure joy that you face hardship, pain, and suffering?  Take time to think back on your trials or difficult times, a death of someone close to you, a betrayal of someone that you cared about, the loss of something important to you, a deterioration of your health, or a time that was financially difficult.  What did you receive after you got through that trial?  Maybe you are still in the midst of this trial, if so take heart in God's promises.  The test of your faith will produced perseverance.  Your faith in God was put to the test and you needed to depend on Him more than you had before.  Draw on those times when dependency on Him got you through your trial, because you will soon face another, so that you can reach a further level of reliance and hope in God.  Here is a scripture that correlates with that, Romans 5:1-6.

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,  through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.  You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly."

By our faith in God we have been given access to His grace, we hope in His glory, and that hope will not put us to shame, despite our trials, because of God's great love that He was poured on us!  We should not fear or cower from our trials, because through them, we gain an increasing hope and an increasing dependency in the God that richly loves us.  This is a promise to stand on and to take refuge in!  I went all the way to verse 6 because I love what it shows, God's timing is perfect.  When it seems like the trial will overtake us, or that the good that we are doing is just in vain, hold fast and push through with the strength of the Lord and you will be rewarded!  "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)

Not only can we be encouraged in our trials, but also when we are doing what is right and it seems like it is going unnoticed or to not avail.  Galatians 6:7-10: 

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.  Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.


I feel like this scripture is commonly used when we are doing things wrong and from this we get the famous colloquialism, "you will reap, what you sow."  Meaning stop doing wrong, or you will get what is coming to you.  The same takes place when you are doing right, you will get what is coming to you.  I love the encouragement that verse 9 gives, do not become weary, because God's timing is perfect, (I feel like I saw that somewhere else), and you will reap a harvest, so don't give up!  I have seen God work in this way, but you also may not be the one that reaps the harvest, it may be someone else.  Paul talks about this in 1 Corinthians 3:5-9:
  
What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task.  I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.  For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

We have all be called to a purpose in our service to Christ, whether to water or to plant, it doesn't matter.   God will make it grow, God will draw people to himself, and we are just co workers in His service.  What a blessing that is and for our work we will be rewarded!! (see verse 8)

I want to encourage once again to push through your trials and suffering, to strive to do good and display the gospel to all people.  You will reap joy beyond anything you have ever experienced.  I pray that we all will gain a deeper dependency on God and His grace to His glory!  What a blessing it is to be found in His love!  I am praying for you all in your trials that you will persevere!  God will always sustain us and strength us through any suffering.  For we are more than conquerors through Him that has overcome the world! (Romans 8:37, John 16:33)

May the peace of Christ reign in your hearts,

Daniel