God Rewards
“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)
“Believe” is one of the most misunderstood word within the Christian religion, especially within the Bible Belt. Too often, we confuse “believe” with “acknowledge.” I have asked individuals if they are Christians, and the response is always, “Well, I believe.” So then, I inevitability have to ask, “Do you believe God is the Creator of heaven and earth? Do you believe that everything which you have is given by Him? Do you believe He saved you from your sins through His Son?” And of course, the answer is, “Yes, I believe.” Then, why don’t you seek Him? Why don’t you do what He commands? Embrace what He promises? Trembling at what He threatens? The reason is simple – they merely acknowledge Him. They tip their hat to Him in the store and wave to Him from the car, but they are going in a totally different direction.
What does it actually mean to “believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him”? Sunday afternoon, we had a church picnic at the Stewart Farm. The kids ran and played while the parents ate and ate. As the sun set on our beautiful day, a young girl lost her phone. She believed that she brought it; she was fully convinced that it was in her pocket. Now, if you want to see terror, watch a teenager lose a phone. We believed; therefore, we diligently sought it. We had flashlights and search parties, digging through leaves and scouring fields. John Luke Purvis found it and was rewarded for his diligence.
Do you see the difference? If we do more than acknowledge, if we actually believe that God is infinite, eternal, unchangeable, abounding in goodness, power, wisdom, holiness, justice, love, grace, mercy, patient, kindness, goodness and truth – if we believe, then why do we not seek? Why do we idly squander our time with less when God promises us so much more? Hell is filled with fallen men and angels who merely acknowledge God, who “know not God nor obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus,” but heaven is filled with those who seek Him (2 Thess. 1:8).
