He is a Rewarder

“Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

We all desire to claim God’s promises, not only for our comfort and blessing but so that we may please Him. We want a faith that brings glory to Him, yet there are times many of us struggle to grasp such a faith.

We often become troubled when our prayers aren’t answered and start to question our faith, wondering, “Is my trust in the Lord too weak? Am I slow to believe? Why do the heavens seem closed to my prayers? Have I wavered somehow? Am I not fervent enough? Is there an evil root of unbelief lodged somewhere in my heart?”

We are trying so hard to believe, struggling so hard to please the Lord with a proper kind of faith, that we thwart our own faith with judgment. Now, after many decades of service to God, I want to tell you what proper faith has become to me:

• It means holding fast to God’s promises when there is no physical evidence that His promises are being fulfilled.
• It means trusting the Holy Spirit to keep my soul at rest, convinced God is working out all things for my good.
• It means resting in this declaration from Paul: “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).