BEAUTIFUL TRUTHS ABOUT GOD
We all love beauty. We all love beautiful things. Today we are going to look at a couple of beautiful things about God. First:
GOD PAYS ATTENTION TO SMALL THINGS
Mark 9:41 I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.
Mat 25:40 "The King will reply, ’I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Mark 12:41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on."
A cup of water, the least of these, small copper coins God pays attention to all these things. That’s what’s beautiful about God. You don’t have to win the world for God to notice. He notices the calls, letters. All that is done in the name of Christ makes a difference to God. He looks forward to rewarding that which has been done for him and the least of his.
Heb 6:10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
God will not forget your work, he won’t forget your love and how you’ve helped all these years. It’s not and hasn’t been in vain. That’s why Paul could say in,
1 Cor 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Sometimes we can feel like our labor is in vain. Look at ho Isaiah struggled in 49:4 though God had called him by name and he was God’s servant. But I said, "I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand, and my reward is with my God."
His labor was not in vain! It meant something to God and your labor means something to God.
In Mat 25:15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. The response of the Master was the same with those two. Come and share your master’s happiness. If the one with one had gained one the message would have been to him also Come and share your master’s happiness.
What does that do for your heart? How does the beauty of God’s heart, these truths affect your heart? Knowing that God is pleased and knowing that He notices motivates me. There are many times that no one will notice what you do but God misses nothing. A cup of water given in the name of Christ means something to God.
Story is told about a soldier in the military that got on his knees next to his bed and prayed every night before bed. This daily routine began to irk one of the other soldiers and one night he was fed up. After a hard day of being out in the field he took one of his dirty, muddy boots and fired it at the man who was on his knees praying once again. The boot hit him square in the head. The man groaned, rubbed his head but kept on praying. The other man turned over in disgust and went off to sleep. Next morning when the angry soldier woke up he found both boots, sparkling with shine next to his bed. Well that broke his heart and he wanted to know about the God that could produce that type of service in a man’s heart.
That man shining that guys boots meant something to God! If that guy never gave God an ounce of praise and went straight to hell that doesn’t diminish the service of the soldier one iota. It meant something to our Father. That’s one of the beautiful truths about God is that he pays attention to the small things. The things that we do when no ones looking.
The second beautiful thing about God is that he loves to reward us.
GOD IS A REWARDING GOD
Psa 19:9-11 The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; They are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
(Psa 62:11- 12 NIV) One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard; that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.
(Psa 127:3 NIV) Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.
(Prov 11:18 NIV) The wicked man earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.
(Prov 13:21 NIV) Misfortune pursues the sinner, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.
(Prov 19:17 NIV) He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him.
(Prov 25:22 NIV) In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.
Keeping Gods commands, children, wisdom, righteousness, being kind to the poor, treating your enemies well. All these things brings rewards from God.
(Isa 40:10 NIV) See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.
We must be careful how we live though. God warns us in the psalms that men of this world, their reward IS IN THIS LIFE.
Note: (Psa 17:14 NIV) O LORD, by your hand save me from such men, from men of this world whose reward is in this life. You still the hunger of those you cherish; their sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children.
(Isa 61:8 NIV) "For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them.
(Isa 62:11 NIV) The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: "Say to the Daughter of Zion, ’See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.’"
(Jer 17:10 NIV) "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."
(Ezek 29:20 NIV) I have given him Egypt as a reward for his efforts because he and his army did it for me, declares the Sovereign LORD.
(Mat 5:12 NIV) Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
(Mat 5:46 NIV) If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
(Mat 6:1-6 NIV) "Be careful not to do your ’acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
Mat 6:16 When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
There should be many secrets among us. Good secrets! Secret giving, secret praying, secret fasting. This is what God loves to reward. The type of service that is done for his eyes only. Not at all about men. You don’t announce it, you don’t show it nor do you care if men see it. It’s for God. Purely for him. There’s so little of it done for him it’s no wonder God loves it when he sees it.
(Mat 10:41 NIV) Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward.
(Mat 16:27 NIV) For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
(Luke 6:23 NIV) "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.
(Luke 6:35 NIV) But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
Do you want great rewards? Love your enemies, do good to them and lend to them. Don’t expect anything back from them. Your rewards will be great in heaven.
(Heb 11:6 NIV) 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.
(Rev 22:12 NIV) "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. What a beautiful truth about God.
Though God is coming with many rewards for us let us remember what he told Abraham when he had told him in Gen 12 that he would be bless him and make him into a great nation and that his name would be great.
(Gen 15:1 NIV) After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward."
Praise God that we serve a God that pays attention to the small things and we serve a God who loves to reward us. God is beautiful! As we continue to serve Him, all that we do let us do it for His eyes, for His glory and for His honor. Amen.
