Righteousness Rewarded

“⁸Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” – 2 Timothy 4:8 (ESV)

Paul was the LORD’s great evangelist. He did not work of God without concern for himself as was evident by the amount of time he was imprisoned and also executed for that work. He only looked forward to His time in heaven and knew that God appreciated his work and would recognize him for it when he arrived in heaven.

I know, I have been saying that we are not given the right to declare ourselves righteous, and yet here is Paul indicating that he would receive the “crown of righteousness”. How can he declare it so? Well, he is not. Paul knows the work that he has done and the dedication to the LORD he has and therefore is declaring that as God sees it He will declare it so. Paul was not doing the work to get the reward, he was doing the work as he had already been rewarded.

Paul knew that the chains of persecution would be coming off. They were there due to his dedication to the LORD. He was well aware of the way to have them removed in this world, and yet he persisted with his love and dedication and work to God. Paul worked for the LORD all the way to his death and never gave in to the world.

I wonder if I have dedicated myself to the LORD as Paul did. I know that I have not endured the same type of persecution as Paul, although it does still exist. I wonder if I am and will be dedicated to the work to my death and never give in to the world.

I can only do the work that God gives to me. I may not be traveling the world to spread the gospel, but I can do so here where I am. Our church mission is to have “A gospel movement that reaches every person in the hill country and is carried to the ends of the earth.” And from this I get that my role is to reach everyone I can where I am. I will have the chance to reach the one to carry it forward, I am to be focused on the work here where I am.

Yes, because of this medium my evangelism may reach you where you are. I am grateful for the chance to share with each of you. I am focused on my study of God’s Word and declaring my thoughts. In this world today, that affords me the chance to get those thoughts to the world. This is me doing the work where I am. This is me reaching you who has the chance to carry the gospel where you are. I know that not everyone is next door to me and that some are being reached all over the globe. To you I say spread the gospel where you are.

My actions will be rewarded by the LORD. I will be awarded that which He declares. I can only do the work here and know that I have done that work and rely on God to see and recognize as He sees fit when I arrive in heaven.

What work are you doing? Are you giving in to the world? What if you were to just do the work, knowing that you will be recognized and awarded for that work when you arrive in heaven?

Jesus Took My Sin So I Could Be Counted Righteous

You heard me right, Jesus took my sin on himself so that I could be counted righteous.

“¹¹Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;

by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,

make many to be accounted righteous,

and he shall bear their iniquities.”

— Isaiah 53:11 (ESV)

“³⁸Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, ³⁹and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.” – Acts 13:38-39 (ESV)

I owe Jesus so much and yet will never be able to repay Him for the one act of dying for me. Yes, I said that right, He died for me. He did it so that I could be elevated to be called righteous.

No, I do not see myself as righteous, as I have said, only God can declare as righteous. But I can and will perform righteous acts. These acts are in obedience to the LORD and to say thank you for being there for me. Thanks for comforting and guiding me. Thanks for the forgiveness of my sins. Thanks for dying for me. Even as I know that I will not be able to repay His act of love for me, I still must continue offering myself to Him in obedience.

Jesus died for me, intentionally. Yes, He did it on purpose and it was righteous. He only asked if there was another way for the Father’s will to be done. What a show of love to me. Jesus said if there was another way to fulfill the LORD’s plan that would be preferred, yet if death is the only way, He was willing to do whatever the LORD had for Him to provide salvation for me. This is the example for me and my service to the LORD. I should ask if there is another way, but be willing to do whatever is asked, knowing that those actions are righteous in the eyes of the LORD.

Jesus was counted as righteous so that I could be counted as righteous. Notice the word “could” used as I write. I am intentional with the word as I am not righteous just because of Jesus’ death. I am only given the opportunity to be counted as righteous. I have work to do and that work is for the LORD. I have accepted the free gift of salvation and am doing the work for the LORD, and thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus and His grace, I am hopeful that I will be counted as righteous. But, I do not see myself as there yet, I still have work to do. As long as I am here in this world, I have work to do for the LORD and I will learn of my righteous status when I meet the LORD in heaven.

What are your thoughts on your becoming righteous? Do you see yourself having arrived there already? What if you looked as I do in that you have been given the opportunity to be counted as righteous thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus, yet you have work to do?

“The House of the Righteous Will Stand”

Ever wonder how some are spared destruction while others are completely torn down.

“⁷The wicked are overthrown and are no more,

but the house of the righteous will stand.”

— Proverbs 12:7 (ESV)

It is due to righteousness as identified by the LORD. Again, I want to be clear in that we and no one in this world can declare righteousness. We can only perform actions from our heart and in the name of the LORD and as He sees, only He can declare us righteous. We don’t know it, we are not made aware at any time. We are only here to do the work of the LORD because it is the right thing to do.

It is those who are in the favor of the LORD for doing His work that are granted the reprieve from the destruction. The righteous are not seeking the lack of destruction, they are only seeking the completion of the work assigned by God and then moving on to the next assignment. There is no review of the work and comparing it to anyone else. There is no shouting aloud the work done. There is only the doing of the work and moving to the next.

No, it is not fair that there are those who are spared, at least that is the rumblings from those who are on the other side of righteousness. It is not supposed to be fair. There is doing the work of God and there is not doing the work of God. Those who do not, are those who are not in the favor of Him. And when not in the favor of the LORD, destruction is bound to follow.

I know that I may be painting some doom and gloom when coupled with other study and writings related to the word “righteous”. The idea that not everyone is righteous and especially when we break down the numbers to see the very small number who are declared righteous. The truth hurts. It is not pleasant to know these things. It is important to note that righteous is not for everyone and those who are not will suffer destruction.

How to be righteous, well that is pretty simple. Devote yourself to the LORD and His work. Move on to the next once the work is done and do not expect anything in return. Only know that you have done the work of the Father and spread the Good News of His Salvation and that the world around you is better for it. The LORD will witness your work and know your heart and deliver you from destruction.

What are you expecting from the work you do? Are you looking around and wondering why your world is crumbling while others seem to stand tall? What if you only worried with the work you are doing for the LORD and allow Him to bless you as you move on to the next bit of work for Him?

Righteous, There are Not Many

This morning I have been reminded of the fact that there are indeed not many in this world who are righteous. I am reading in Genesis of Noah and God’s destruction on the earth to rid it of the evil that had taken hold. Of all those on the earth, He identified only Noah as being righteous.

“⁵The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” and “⁸But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” – Genesis 6:5 & 8 (ESV)

The LORD found that Noah was a man following Him. Only one man and his immediate family were to be saved.

“⁹These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. ¹⁰And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” – Genesis 6:9-10 (ESV)

I do not know how many were in the world at the time, but for the LORD to only identify one to be righteous, that is quite the small percentage. I am sure that there were thousands if not hundreds of thousands and only one was determined to be righteous.

Now, let’s take a look at the percentages and translate that to this world today. If there were 100,000 people, then Noah would have been .001% of them. Think about it, with a million then there would only be 10 righteous. And a society of a billion people would only have 10,000 righteous. And with the current population of the earth being around 8 billion, that would be only about 80,000 as righteous. Now, that looks and seems like a good number of people, but consider that even if rounded to 100,00 people there would be only the city of Davenport, IA (according to the estimate of 2023 found in Wikipedia) that would considered righteous, and that is only one town among the world. And think, that is presuming a population of 100,000 along with Noah. There are not many righteous in the world. And, as much as I would like to believe I am righteous, would I make the cut with the LORD.

I have to look at my role here in this world. My role is to spread the gospel to all I come in contact with. I do not, as Noah did not, have to concern myself with all else that is going on in the world. I know that there is evil out there as did Noah. And just as he did, I am to put my head down and do the work that the LORD has for me. Noah built the ark and I am to spread the gospel. Whether or not I am righteous is not for me to decide, that is left up to and judged by the LORD. My role is simply to do the work and allow the LORD to see the work.

There are not many righteous in this world, and that is known. I do not know if I am one of them, and that is okay. I am to do the work that the LORD has for me and know that when my time is up, I will find myself in glory.

What is your understanding of your righteousness? Do you look out for yourself as if you are righteous and all others are not? What if you look at the numbers and realize that there are not many who are righteous and that only God knows their names, so you put your head down and do the work He has for you until your time is done?

Be Fruitful to the World

“¹And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.’” – Genesis 9:1 (ESV)

Upon Noah and his family exiting the ark following the flood, God gave him a task to “fill the earth”. And that is what was done. We know this by our simple existence here in this world as God’s flood of the earth removed all others from it and left it to Noah and his family.

Now, Noah and his family filled the earth that they knew, the one that was where they were. He did not send His sons to the “Americas” to fill here, but he and his family filled the world they were in obedience to God and knew that God would do the rest.

I have to remember that it is my duty to “fill the earth” beginning with the world I am in. I believe that is one reason that I identify with the church vision of where we as a family attend. We long to see “A gospel movement that reaches every person in the hill country and is carried to the ends of the earth.” We are not being fruitful in all the earth, just our little corner of it and then it is carried further, allowing for our filling of the earth. It all starts with doing the work where we are.

I do believe that too often we do not recognize and realize the impact we make or can make due to our want to do the big thing. I have to remember to be fruitful where I am and do the work of the LORD here. I have to allow for God to work through me where I am and not ignore the need right in my backyard because I see a “bigger” more “visible” need in the yard over there.

God calls on me to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth”. Even when calling on Noah, He called on him to start right where he was and do the work there. I am called to do the same, do the work in the world I am in.

What are you maybe not doing because you are looking to far away? Are you focused on making the big splash? What if you did the work where you are and filled the earth by starting in the world you are in?

The LORD Hears and Accepts Prayer

Prayer is the speaking with God, thanking Him, and asking for His help. I will admit, that for me it often feels like a one way monologue with very little, if any response from Him at all. I also know that it is likely not unusual as Lori feels the same way. The thing is that He does not need to respond to us with what His plans are as He is always working to ensure that they are carried out. The thing is we may not know of what He is doing or what the plans entail or look like. Our role is simply to pray and know that He is listening and hears us.

“⁹The LORD has heard my plea;

the LORD accepts my prayer.”

— Psalm 6:9 (ESV)

David was always praying to the LORD. He was always speaking with and thanking and asking for help during his rule. He questioned the LORD on the timing of things and what the plan was.

“²Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing;

heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled.

³My soul also is greatly troubled.

But you, O LORD—how long?”

— Psalm 6:2-3 (ESV)

But, as noted in verse nine above, He knew that the LORD was hearing his plea and was accepting of his prayer. David knew that the LORD was taking action and that while there may not be an immediate outcome that David wanted, the LORD was on his side and would be working to protect and guide him.

“¹⁰All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled;

they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.”

— Psalm 6:10 (ESV)

I have to remember that my prayer does not fall on deaf ears of the LORD. He may not immediately answer me or my prayers, but He does hear them and accepts them and works with them in His plans for my life in living out that life for Him.

What prayers are you laying out there that you feel are not being answered? Are you looking for those immediate answers in affirmation of your requests? What if you just kept up with prayer knowing that the LORD does hear and accepts them and works with your requests in the carrying out of His plan?

Endure Trials, be Rewarded in Rest

I am in the position, as a Christian to endure trials. I am to continue with the work of the LORD through my life here in this world. Rest is not in the plan right now, although it is in the plan in due time. Once I have finished the work, there will be plenty of time for rest, and when that time comes, I will be able to do so and be rewarded as well.

“⁹Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. ¹⁰Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.” — Revelation 3:9-10 (ESV)

I am enduring the trials before me today. I am working through them with the guidance of the LORD and as such, will prevail. More importantly, I will be rewarded for the work. No, maybe not rewarded in the now as would like. I will be rewarded when the work is done. I will have the opportunity to rest and as I am, God will make those else in the world have there time of suffering through trial. I will be resting and the world will come and see that I have done the work before and know that the LORD has cared for me all the while.

I know, rest once the work is done, but I finished the one thing. The work of the LORD is not just the one item we are able to scratch off the to-do list. I am not just able to go to church and then revel in the blessings of the LORD. I have more to do. I may get a moment to “catch my breath” after completing a task, and then it is back to the work to bring glory to the LORD. Once I have caught my breath I am able to draw on the strength of the LORD and proceed on to the next and complete that work as well and then on to the next and so on.

All of the work for the LORD takes time and effort and endurance that comes from the refining the LORD has put me through in the daily trials. I have to embrace the trials knowing that I am being refined and built up to make it through and on to the next. I will have plenty of time to rest when all of the work is complete.

I know that the work of the LORD seems to be never ending, but it will come to an end. And when it does, God will provide the chance for me to rest. In that rest I will be rewarded and that reward will be enough for me to recharge and take on again the next that He has for me. I will be able to see the work that was done and the trials endured. I will see the trials on those remaining. I will be recognized for being loved by God. I will be allowed to recharge in preparation for the work to come.

God loves me and rewards me for all that I have and will do. I know that the work is hard and that there is more of it than I can endure as a human. But God is preparing me daily through the trials before me. He is giving me the strength to endure and will also give me the opportunity to rest and be rewarded once the work is complete.

What trials have you endured? Are you looking for the rest in the moment and to be delivered from any more of the trials? What if you just keep working, knowing that you will be able to catch your breath and then have the strength to make it through to be rewarded and have the chance to fully rest, once the work is complete?

Nothing Can Be Added

As I have been studying, I have thought about and written that nothing should be added or taken away from the Word of God. This morning I have been reminded in God’s Word that nothing can be added to His work.

“¹⁴I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. ¹⁵That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.” — Ecclesiastes 3:14-15 (ESV)

God endures forever and therefor His work endures forever. I forget that sometimes as I work my way through this world. I continue, as a man, working to do for myself and forget that God has already worked everything out for me as noted in verse 15 above. He has already outlined the day and the days to come for me and it is my role to dig into His word and find that outline for me and execute.

Where I am to execute the plan that God has for me, I am to do the work to get the result He has already accounted for. I refer the idea of “commander’s intent – (the desired endstate) – https://www.nwcg.gov/sites/default/files/wfldp/docs/Shattuck.pdf, page 2” in accomplishing the work. I am tasked with conducting the work and allowing God’s plan to be realized through my work. The “endstate” has already been determined by God an I am here to carry out the work to reach the “endstate”. I do not know how the work I do impacts the “endstate”, I only know that I am to do the work. The work of God is already predetermined, at least the result is, and there is nothing I can or should do to add to or take away from that end result. Each instance is its own and God has already determined it all and only the completion of the work assigned should be in my purview.

I have and will do enough to accomplish the work that God has for me. I only need to do the work assigned and allow God’s work to shine through my work. I am just the hands doing the physical labor as God is the architect of the end result. His plan has already been established and I am not here to add to that plan or take from that plan, only to execute to realize the plan.

What have you been doing as relates to the work of God? Are you trying to do more than your task to somehow further impact the end result? What if you simply did the work that God has for you and allowed for His plan to unfold based on that work?