Day Four
The Reward of Faith
Yesterday I talked about the fact that God can increase our faith, but that we need to give him something to multiply first.
What is faith? It is like a seed. It’s a decision, a choice (that is not dependent on, but in despite of, our circumstances,) to put our complete trust in God. That choice becomes the substance or seed for God to create a miracle. It becomes the substance with which He can work.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen. This is what the ancients were commended for.
Notice neither the ancients, nor you or I are commended for being Holy, being humble, or being good. We are commended for our FAITH.
Jesus said it starts as a seed.
Luke 17:6 Jesus said if you have faith like the grain of a mustard seed, you can say unto that mountain, be cast into the sea.
Why did he use a seed to illustrate faith? Because a seed, even though small, has within it the potential for something much greater. When you give God something to work with, no matter how small He can bring out the potential within it to create what you cannot yet see.
Hebrews 11:6 says: Without faith it is impossible to please god, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists (That’s the seed!) and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
The question I have always wondered about and never understood is; what is the reward mentioned here?
What is God saying he’ll give you if you diligently seek him, if you abandon your casual acquaintance with him and make Jesus the object of your time, your money and your gifts? Talent is God’s gift to us, what we do with it, is our gift to God.
So what is the trophy here? Is the reward the things we are believing for? Is it a car, is it a better life, is it eternal life, or is it good outcomes when I pray?
No, what he promises you for pursuing him, and what he guarantees to give you is supernatural faith. The kind of faith that is legendary, legacy creating; the kind of faith where miracles happen, and people do the most remarkable things.
Hebrews 11 is saying that if you diligently seek God, he will reward you with more faith. This is how you grow your faith!!
There are 4 keys to growing your faith in this verse:
- You must come to him. It’s about proximity, it’s about committing to fully engage with him.
- You must please him. The word ‘please’ here means to give pleasure to, to do a good job.
HOW?
- You must believe that he exists.
- You must believe that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Today I want you to meditate on the reward of faith. No matter how small your faith feels right now, God is pleased when we offer what we have to him rather than try to hide it, feeling ashamed that He won’t accept the little we have. The EXACT OPPOSITE is the truth! He WANTS that tiny seed you have because it presents an opportunity to Him to surprise you and reward you by causing it to grow and increase and that my friends…..brings Him great pleasure!
Scripture to meditate on: Luke 17:6-10