Have you ever done something expecting God to reward you for your actions? Take these words from the people of Judah during the decline of Israel:

“’³Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you see your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers.” – Isaiah 58:3 (ESV)

Isaiah points out to the people that they may be taking actions, doing the religious thing, however they are shallow and self-serving and not in true reverence and obedience to God. Do we find ourselves doing the same, saying, “God, look at me, I did your work”?

Ours is to selflessly do God’s work without any expectation, for we already know our reward. We have to be genuine and full of God’s love to pour out on others and then, God will guide us.

“¹¹And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” – Isaiah 58:11 (ESV)

Will you be genuine with your work for God? Will you be content with your reward in heaven? Do you understand that with your genuine faith God will guide you?

I substitute the word “lead” with the word “guide” based on what I read this morning.

“²⁶One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of wicked leads them astray.” – Proverbs 12:26 (ESV)

“The way of the wicked” may only be subtle at the beginning and others may only see that which seems good. The whole picture is not revealed. The turmoil, adversity, and difficulty is disguised with the grandeur of wealth and power. It is not challenges arise that we are able to see the whole picture and we realize that the path taken as we followed was riddled with less than accurate information.

As Christians, we are tasked with being the example of Christ to all. We are to spread the gospel and bring the good news. We have accepted the gift of salvation and are willing to make sure others around us have the same opportunity to accept that gift that we did. That is where our guidance come into play.

Those around us need to “see” the good news in us. We should be talking about it and presenting it every chance we have. When presenting, we are showing what the Word of God is, has, and will do in our lives. We want to make sure and not give some inflated picture only to have that bubble burst with adversity allowed by God as a part of his plan to refine us.

Our example should be the guide to show our neighbors the path to our future glory, as we navigate through this world for which we are only passing through.

Are you providing the whole picture to those around you, or only showing them what we want them to see? Will you demonstrate God to your neighbors, all of what God is doing, rewards and challenges? Are you guiding with your example?

You see, I am one to do a lot of things on my own and not rely on others, the typical guy (I do not need to ask for directions). About 22 years ago, Lori and I went to Jamaica and did a couple of tours around the island. One in particular, with a local charter company took us to Dunn’s River Falls and I have to say, it was a great experience.

“²⁴You guide me with your counsel and afterward you will receive me to glory.” – Psalm 73:24 (ESV)

We need the right guide to get to glory, and God is that ultimate guide. I am sure that without a guide in our trip to Dunn’s River Falls we would have enjoyed the view, but having the guide take us there and give us more than just the falls was even better.

We have many opportunities to get where we want to go, but it is God that has the map for our lives and will show us all of the extra that we may miss by just simply getting there. It is the journey that is worth the trip and when we reach our final destination, heaven, we will have a glorious time.

Are you willing to use a guide on your journey? What about choosing God as your guide? Are you look for the destination or is the journey the beginning of the reward?

I read this morning in Psalm 67 and in verse 4 find language that is, well, eye opening.

“⁴Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon the earth.” – Psalm 67:4 (ESV)

Now it may not seem that eye popping until you dig in. There are words that I believe we hone in on as we read; glad, sing, and joy. And we should hold those close, however I was drawn to the words judge, equity, and guide. These are the words that pop for me.

In my NIV Bible the word judge is replaced by rule, and equity is replaced by justly. How many of us want to be ruled and feel as though rule is just? I find it interesting that we are drawn to all the positive phrasing when those of discipline are maybe the guiding light of our day to day. And notice the word I used, “guiding”, that is the other word used.

In guiding us, God has our interests in mind. He may take us through fields and seasons of goodness and then there are those times of difficulty he brings us through. Each of these times is meant for our growth and we should be thankful. Just look at verses 3 and 5 of chapter 67.

“³Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! ⁵Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!” – Psalm 67:3 & 5 (ESV)

Yes, they are the same, and I see them this way. Praise is for God in the times of prosperity as well as difficulty.

Will you praise God at all times? Will you allow God to guide you through all times? Will you allow God to be your guide?

We know that we are to be the example of God here for others to see. We know we are to show that example. IT IS NOT EASY!!!

“³For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. ⁴With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you;” – 1 Peter 4:3-4 (ESV)

We will be “maligned” (defamed, slandered, and smeared)? Wow, that is quite the response to being a child of God and walking away from sin.

“⁵but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.” – 1 Peter 4:5 (ESV)

Oh, so they will be held accountable for their actions by God, just as we will be held accountable for ours. When suffering as with the maligning, we are to hold to the standard God has set forth.

“⁸Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. ⁹Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: ¹¹whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as on who serves by the strength that God supplies – in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” – 1 Peter 4:8-11 (ESV)

When we hold to the above example, we are rewarded as stewards of God’s grace. We are to show that grace when things are good and in those times when we are defamed, slandered, and smeared. Our gifts are for all, not just those that are “worthy” of them. Remember, none of us are worthy.

When you are in a tough spot, will you show God’s grace through your actions? Will you walk away, regardless of what they may say about you? Even in suffering, will you show God’s grace?

You may have heard the phrase “Faith without works is dead”. I know that I have and this morning I have gotten some additional clarity on those words.

Abraham was counted as righteous for his belief. He demonstrated that faith with Isaac when he offered him as a sacrifice.

“²²You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was complete by his works.” – James 2:22 (ESV)

It is our responsibility to have faith in our Lord and demonstrate that faith through our works. Works do not create Faith however Faith does create works.

Works are the way to show our faith:

“¹⁸But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your work, and I will show you my faith by my works.” – James 2:18 (ESV)

It takes our works to demonstrate our faith:

“²⁴You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” – James 2:24 (ESV)

We need and are required to have faith, but that faith requires our work.

Where are you in your faith? Are you relying on that faith as enough? Are you allowing your faith to be declared dead? Are you completing works as a result of your faith? Are you able to Show Your Faith Through Your Works?

Imagine you are watching a magic show and the magician pulls off a trick that you are completely marveled at. You try your best to wrap your head around how, and even search online for the “answer” to your inquisitive nature.

“⁴But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – ⁶and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” – Ephesians 2:4-7 (ESV)

There is no way to determine the love and grace that God gives. The commentary of my ESV bible says, “It will take all of eternity to fathom God’s love, and those who are saved will never plumb the depths of it.” How true is that?

We have to accept with thanksgiving the love that God shows and will show us. We are not deserving of God’s grace and love, but he gives it anyway, and our best response to that gift should be a hearty “Thank You”

Have you tried to reason the love and grace God shows? What have you figured out? Going forward will you simply say “thank you” and know the love as God shows?

We are members of the body of Christ. We are all different, yet no less valuable.

“¹²For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though, many are one body, so it is with Christ…¹⁶And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?” – 1 Corinthians 12:12 & 16-17 (ESV)

Each part of our body is important no matter how small it may be. Each part has a purpose. Your ears, eyes, nose, fingernails, toes, each is there to do its part for the good of the body. The same is said for each of us as a part of the body of Christ.

We each have gifts given by God and those gifts are for his glory. This is where I know that I get hung up. I sometimes feel that if I am not able to do certain things, I am less of a Christian than those that are demonstrative and seem to get all the glory.

Paul reminds us in this passage that not everyone is an apostle, prophet, or teacher. Some are called to be healers or helpers. We are to embrace out gifts and live those out as God intended.

“³¹But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.” – 1 Corinthians 12:31 (ESV)

Paul is not referring to the jealous coveting of the gifts of others, only to desire to do more with what you have. Once we have demonstrated our embracing of our gifts, God uses that gift for the body of the church. We should be showing ourselves and our gifts with love, and that is how we demonstrate our value.

What gifts do you possess that you may have been overlooking as a part of the whole body of Christ? Will you take on those gifts as valuable? Will you use them to please God and do his work? Will you show yourself and your value as a member of the body of Christ?

“¹Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.’…⁴So Abram wen, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.” – Genesis 12:1 (ESV)

Do we have the faith to act on God’s command as Abram did? Abram followed God with full faith. He picked up his stuff and took off, to an unknown land.

Look at the words of God, “to the land that I will show you”, not, “to the land that I will give you”. Don’t we expect in our following of God that we will receive blessings from God? We will, however maybe not the blessings we were expecting. Abram followed God fully trusting in him. So much so, that he took everything with him, not just some provisions where he could come back, but in full faith of God’s Word.

“⁷Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your offspring I will give this land.’ So he built there an alter to the Lord, who had appeared to him.” – Genesis 12:7 (ESV)

What a kick in the gut that could have been. “Thanks for obeying, see what those that come after you get.” But Abram did not look at it that way. He was obeying the Lord and his positivity was manifested in his building an altar. He went where he was shown and knew that God’s plan was greater than he could see at that moment.

What faith do we have in the work of God? Are we able to pick up everything and follow him? Are we able to go where we are shown (even if not sure if it is for us, or those that come after us)?

When we come to the Lord, we must be in the right mind, body, and heart. How do we get there?

“²⁸Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” – 1 Corinthians 11:28 (ESV)

Yes, Paul is referring to the Lord’s Supper here and we should look closely at ourselves prior to coming to the table. We are sinners and will always be sinners, however we need to be aware of that at all times. That is where the examination comes.

When I go for an exam at the doctor’s office, it is not a situation where the doctor walks in, says hi, and then begins to chit chat about the world events only to leave with a prescription for meds. It is more along the lines of, “hi, lie down there and let me take a closer look at you”. This is an exam. A closer look. And this is the examination that Paul speaks of in the above verse.

In that examination, the next piece, we repent for those sins we have committed.

“²⁹For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgement on himself. ³⁰That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. ³¹But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. ³²But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.” – 1 Corinthians 11:29-32 (ESV)

Paul is letting the Corinthians know that they have to come to the Lord’s table with the right heart. They should have a “clear conscience” when it comes to their sin. They should have already taken responsibility for their actions. We are no different.

Before dining with the Lord, we must repent. We must have identified our sin, and asked to be forgiven, even for those we may have missed in our recall. If we have not, then we are not right with God and therefore He will judge us (see verse 30). When we are right with God then we are ready for the next part, Enjoy.

We are to enjoy the company of God and our fellow Christians. The only way to do that is to truly repent and have nothing holding us back.

“³³So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another – ³⁴if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home – so that when you come together it will not be for judgment.” 1 Corinthians 11:33-34 (ESV)

To truly enjoy, we have to have clear bodies, minds, and hearts. The way to that clarity is to repent and have nothing weighing us down. And once we have that clarity, we are “free” to fellowship with God and our brothers and sisters in Christ with complete joy.

When you come to God, where is your body, mind, and heart? What about during the rest of the day? I wonder how different my days would be if I was fully repentant? Will you, examine, repent, enjoy?