Motivated by Faith
Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded. -2 Chronicles 15:7
Spoken by the prophet Azariah, the words above were meant to serve as encouragement to king Asa. For Azariah had just given a brief summation of the fortunes of Israel: that when the people sought the Lord, they were blessed, and when they turned their backs on the Lord, the Lord turned His back on them.
The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. -2 Chronicles 15:2
And in the midst of this retelling, Azariah wanted to encourage the godliness that he had seen in king Asa thusfar, (following his major military victory), and told him to be “strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded” (2 Chronicles 15:7).
The reward
God promises rewards to those that follow Him, though they may not occur instantaneously when we expect them. “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9).
God’s blessing is likened to the planting of a seed. There is a period of time where it appears as though nothing is happening: the seed has apparently died in the ground. Yet in due time, life shall spring up.
The motivator
Having faith in God’s promises of blessing is the key motivator. When we go to work, in whatever employment we may hold, we get paid quickly for the work that we do (usually every two weeks to a month); but this is not so in God’s kingdom. Rewards come with time: sometimes long periods of time.
When we get paid at our earthly employment, it is incentive enough for us to keep on working, being confident that we’ll get rewarded shortly in the future for the work that we’re doing.
With God, things are a bit different. Though He fully intends to reward us for all the labor that we do for Him, it comes in His own timing, which we may not fully know or understand. In order to keep on working for God, and not to faint in our labors, takes faith. We must trust and believe that God is watching and waiting to bless us: in His own good time.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. -Hebrews 11:1
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This is why I am concerned about the future of the United States. Israel was a chosen nation by God. Even when they stepped away from God, He redeemed them everytime they repented. We have no promise that God will redeem us, so it is very important that we remain one nation under God.
To deal with that issue, I have written a complete Bible study on the life and teachings of Jesus titled Getting To Know Jesus. we look at Jesus as Lord, Savior and role model. Go to http://www.gettingtoknowjesus.org and see how you can start Getting To Know Jesus Bible study groups in your church.