For Services Rendered
I will sing to YHWH because He has rewarded me. Psalm 13:6
Rewarded – This verse sounds like money in the bank. But before you run off to cash God’s reward check, read the remaining verses in this psalm.
God rewards the faithful, no doubt about it. God protects the righteous. He brings justice to the oppressed. He lifts the downtrodden. But if you think that means you are going to have a life without cares, you need to re-read this psalm. It’s easy to take this verse out of its context and act as though God’s purpose for the faithful is to materially reward them. After all, that’s the usual meaning of the Hebrew verb gamal. Good for good, evil for evil seems to be fitting. In Hebrew, the idea is called “measure for measure.” You can certainly recall its application to teeth and eyes. So, once we establish that God rewards those who are righteous, we might be inclined to ask, “When, and how much?”
That’s not quite right. Our categories of reward are not always the same categories that God has in mind. If we carefully follow the psalmist here, we will see that the reward is not a prosperous life, satisfying days or carefree existence. The reward is the revelation of God’s character. The reward is this: I can trust Him.
What kind of reward is that? Well, it’s a reward that is unruffled by the ups and downs of the markets. It’s a reward that is undisturbed by job turmoil. It’s a reward that is unscathed by criticism, undamaged by tragedy, undeterred by trials. It’s the perfect kind of reward because it is viable and valuable in every life situation. Who needs a reward that can be modified, nullified or vilified? God never takes back His gifts of character. All other rewards are subject to recall.
How difficult it is to leave behind the mindset of materialism! How vulnerable we are to believing that God’s goodness must arrive in some material way! Whether rich or poor, we so easily measure our “reward” in terms of those goods and services we think we must have. We are no better than the complaining Israelites in the wilderness. “What have you done for me lately?” seems to be our constant complaint to the Lord. If we would only shift our view to see that God gives Himself, then we would discover that the foundation of life is built on Who He is, not what He does. It still comes down to direction, doesn’t it? God is the beginning of my direction. I look to Him for origin and foundation. He is also the end of my direction. I strive to serve and glorify Him. There is an unbroken line connecting the beginning to the end, and I want to be sure that I am traveling along that line. My reward is found in the journey with Him, not in the things that I bump into along the way.
Today is an excellent day to consider once again your perspective on reward. If you expect anything other than His enduring company, if you require anything other than His abiding presence, then maybe you need to re-examine your motivations. If grace isn’t quite sufficient for you, then maybe you need some time in the wilderness. There’s nothing like it for attitude adjustment.
Topical Index: Reward
