You Get What You Give
With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward. -Psalm 18:26
In the verse above, the writer of this psalm (David) is summarizing an important Scriptural principle: we get what we give. The preceding verses are as follows:
Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward. -Psalm 18:24-26
The first line says it well: “the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness,” (or lack thereof). That is to say, God has repaid David according to his deeds. This principle is found all throughout the Bible, even the New Testament.
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. -Galatians 6:7
How we deal with others and how we deal with God are both directly repaid to us. According to the verse above, the Bible likens our actions to seeds, which once performed, are in a way “planted.” If they’re good actions (seeds), they’ll bear good consequences (plants), and if they’re bad actions, they’ll bear evil consequences.
Jesus reinforces this idea many times in His messages; how we deal with others is how God will deal with us: either for good, or for bad.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. -Matthew 5:7
If we would like to have God show us mercy, and not punish us or go after us for every little offense, then we ought to show mercy to others.
The same goes for forgiveness. Do we not pray in the Lord’s prayer: “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”? That is to say, we are praying and asking God to forgive us and deal with us in the same way that we forgive others who wrong us.
If we hold something against our brother or sister, and bear a grudge—if God is faithful and hears our prayers—then He will also hold us accountable for our sins. This is not to say that we will be unforgiven in the final judgment: the Bible is clear that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Yet in not forgiving others, I truly believe that we keep God from giving us His full blessing. How many heartaches and pains might be averted or avoided if we would only forgive and show mercy on those who offend us?
Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. -Matthew 18:33-35
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