PAYDAY

Hebrews 6:10 “For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him.”

How many times have you done something kind for someone else, but they never thanked you? I suspect that most families rarely even notice much of what mothers do for them, much less thank them. At work managers are encouraged to praise and thank their staff when they have done well. Taking people for granted or not noticing their accomplishments doesn’t encourage them to give of their best. On the other hand trite compliments that lack sincerity don’t motivate people either. If we are honest we tend to remember the bad and forget the good. Shakespeare wrote “The evil that men do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones.”

In wonderful contrast God forgives and forgets the Christian’s sin but remembers our good works. He shows His appreciation when we serve Him faithfully and never overlooks or forgets to reward us when we seek to honor and serve Him or to do good for others. He does this because He is trustworthy and reliable. It may seem odd to describe God using these terms. That seems to be the way one would describe a close friend or family member. Remember Proverbs 18:24 “…there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.”

The story was told of an old missionary couple that had been working in Africa for years and was returning home to retire. They had no pension; their health was broken. On the same ship was President Theodore Roosevelt, who was returning from a hunting expedition. As the passengers disembarked there was a crowd of admirers waiting to greet the President. A band was playing, and the cheers of the crowd were deafening. But when it was time for the missionary couple to step ashore, there was not a single soul to meet them. So eventually they found a cheap flat, hoping the next day to see what they could do to make a living. Discouraged, he buried his head in his hands and moaned, “God, I didn’t expect a band or a parade, but you could have seen to it that somebody came to welcome us home.” "Dear, we’re not home yet!" said his wife.

When I was child, I would hear some of the old saints say “God is keeping a record…” That statement used to terrify me because I feared that God was just sitting in Heaven waiting for me to mess up so that He could record it for all eternity. Now, I realize that God is keeping track. He is trustworthy and reliable. He notices every good deed, kind act, and sacrificial moment of service in the Kingdom. It is so easy sometimes to “grow weary in well doing”. It is easy to fall into discouragement when circumstances aren’t lining up in the manner in which we would like. But we must remember that a reliable God will not forget or overlook our faithfulness. God will always bless those who work with the right heart. Payday is coming for the faithful. Let us never fail to give our all to him. It will be well worth all that God will do for us in this life and beyond.