Good morning diligent ones!
When you put God first place and make it your hightest priority to please Him, then you can expect to live a blessed, fulfilled life. That is why it says in Hebrews 11:6,
• God is a rewarder of those who DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM.
Notice who God rewards? Not people who half-heartedly seek Him; people who only think about Him when they are having a problem; people who only come to church when something special is going on ~ No! God rewards those who DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM! People like YOU, who get up every morning and thank Him for His goodness. People like YOU, who go through the day meditating on His promises. People like YOU who give Him praise in the good times and in the tough times.
When you DILIGENTLY SEEK GOD, He promises that a reward is coming. God will give you His strength, His wisdom, His favor, His healing, and His restoration. You will not be able to outrun the good things of God when you DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM with your whole heart.
As a matter of fact, Deuteronomy 28:1-2 says,
• Now it shall come to pass, if you DILIGENTLY obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God…
What is so interesting about a reward is: It is put in place before anyone claims it. For example, there are rewards for certain fugitives on the loose. The money is already in the fund, just waiting for someone to step up and claim it. The only thing you have to do is find that fugitive and then, the money would be released from that fund.
In the same way, God has a reward that has already been put in place. It is just waiting to be released.
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (Amp) says,
• “But, on the contrary, as the Scripture says, ‘What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed’. Yet, God has unveiled them and revealed them to us through the [Holy] Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things [diligently], even [sounding and measuring] the [profound] depths of God [the divine counsels and things far beyond human understanding].”
I love the Scriptures that talk about God as a REWARDER, because that shows you something about God’s character, personality, and divine nature. He is not a tyrant Judge sitting on a throne, ready to condemn you. No, HE IS A REWARDER.
In Jeremiah 29:13-14 (GWT), it says,
• When you look for Me, you will find me. When you WHOLEHEARTEDLY SEEK ME, I will let you find me, declares the Lord.
And, look at all the Scriptures from Matthew Chapter 6 ~
Verses 3-4 say,
• When you do a charitable deed…your Father Who sees in secret will Himself REWARD you openly.
Verse 6 says,
• When you pray…your Father Who sees in secret will REWARD you openly.
And verses 17-18 says,
• When you fast…your Father Who sees in secret will REWARD you openly.
God will bless us when we make it our aim and goal in life to DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM and honor Him. 1 Samuel 2:30 (NLT) says,
• I will honor those who honor Me.
Imagine being honored by GOD HIMSELF? Whew!!! That is the highest honor you could ever receive!
Every morning, we take the first few hours of the morning and honor God, by studying His Word, praying, and worshipping Him! I pray every day, “Lord, let everything I do today bring honor to Your Name.”
God has blessed our family in so many ways that we are going to have to start journeling, because we have alot of testimonies of the Lord’s goodness toward us!
See, we can do our part to develop what God has given us, but we know that His favor, His honor, and His blessings have come because we have kept Him FIRST PLACE. We have done our very best to DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM. I am asking you to do the same thing! Make pleasing God your highest priority.
Family, God sees every sacrifice you make ~ He sees when you get up in the morning to SEEK HIM. He sees when you take time to pray. Your effort has not gone unnoticed.
Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV) says,
• Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a REWARD. It is the Lord Christ you you are serving.
Just remember: You cannot give God something without Him giving you more back in return.
Psalm 58:11 (NLT) says,
• Then at last everyone will say, “There truly is a REWARD for those who live for God; surely there is a God Who judges justly here on earth.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33 to,
• SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
This word, “SEEK” from the Strongs Concordance is a strong word. One definition says: To require as a vital necessity. Another definition says: To seek in order to find by thinking, meditating, and reasoning (which says to me it is a determined effort). It is not just a casual seeking. It means to aim at and strive after; to crave. This word, “SEEK” appears 119 times in the New Testament.
I exhort you to see spending time with God as being VITAL to living a victorious life.
Proverbs 3:6 (TLB) says,
• In everything you do, PUT GOD FIRST, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success.
Say, “Lord, I need You today; I recognize that You are the source of my strength.” That is SEEKING GOD, and He promises a REWARD is coming.
Proverbs 22:4 (TLB) says,
• The REWARD of true humility and the fear of the Lord is wealth, honor, and a long life.
That is my prayer for each of you, that you will have God’s favor, that you will live a long life, and that you will prosper in everything you do.
DILIGENTLY SEEKING GOD,
Lisa Gordon
Gordon Ministries and Jesus City Church