God loves His children so much that He is even willing to offer Himself as a reward to them. Yet, often, His people cannot appreciate that He is their “very great reward”, but keep yearning for the “things He can give”, rather than “God Himself”. However, the truth is, every other reward on earth can be lost, because things of the world change, but God never, thus we can never lose “God the reward”. Nothing can rob God away from us, because He Himself wills to be our reward. And God rewards those who put their faith in Him and obey Him. Even though the faith of we humans is imperfect, it is not the magnitude of our faith, but the Object of our faith, which actually saves us. Thus, blessed is the one who always looks to God and restores a “covenant mindset” in his living. Such a person will enjoy his walk with God victoriously.
1. God: “I am your very great reward.”
- Unchanging.
- Will never lose this reward.
- Boost our worth.
- But He doesn’t give me what I want?
– God has already done more for us than He ever can do in the future! - Turn our sighing into singing.
– “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. <Ps 73:25>
2. “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” <v6>
- Justified for one reason: His faith.
– Spurgeon: “The faith which justified Abram was still an imperfect faith, although it perfectly justified him.” - Our faith may be weak, but the Object of our faith is powerful.
– Timothy Keller: “It is not the strength of your faith but the object of your faith that actually saves you. Strong faith in a weak branch is fatally inferior to weak faith in a strong branch.” - Abram: The more impossible the situation, the greater his faith is!
– Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” <Ro 4:20-22> -
After being justified by faith >>> New inheritance
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Justified: Still will sin, but God is for us.
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The justified is not free from troubles >>> will have victory.
3. God’s covenant with Abram.
- God always reinforces and reminds of His covenant.
- Because everything that happens to us revolves around God’s covenant.
- Use a “covenant-mindset” to make sense of everything.
- As we walk with God, He will reveal more clearly to us.
- Covenant: both unconditional (God’s trustworthiness) and conditional (our obedience).
Reflection:
- Confirm: Besides God, what better reward do you have (are you craving for)
- Do you understand what’s “covenant mindset”? How can you apply this to make sense of things in your life?
