Psalms 101:6
My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; He who walks in a blameless way is the one who will minister to me.
The one lesson that I've heard over and over again in the past 4 days of church camp is how the Lord is looking for the faithful.
The Mandarin speaker asked this question which some often ask of why does God seem to favour some over others? Why do some people's life seem so blessed and mine so lacking? Is God a God who practices favouritism?
The pastor proceeded to give this illustration of a human father of 4 children with different personalities and attitude:
Child 1 - nice child who would volunteer to do tasks, but somehow was absent minded and won't always complete what he set up to do.
Child 2 - Makes some noise when told to do work, and does it unwillingly.
Child 3 - Protests and makes a lot of noise and never wants to do anything.
Child 4 - Always arises to do whatever the father says and can be trusted to do it well everytime.
Even though each of them had different attitudes and results shown, the father still loves all 4 as they are all his offspring, but which child would the father been keen to ask to do work and can be trusted? Naturally, the fourth child which is always Faithful in his undertaking and would be seen as especially favoured because the father knows how child 4 always delivers.
This illustration also gives us the insights of how God the Father sees each of us. Psalms 101:6 clearly gives us that insight of God the Father's heartbeat - "My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me".
I smiled when the Pastor gave the illustration of the father because I could understand the analogy as I have rangers that I can also categorise. Some whom I would wholeheartedly place my life in and trust, and some which I would only trust them to handle low-valued items, and some of which I won't even trust with 1 cent because I don't see an iota of faithful and responsibility in their lives.
Faithfulness is truely an under-rated virtue in us today, but it holds a heavy expectation on every one of us who are called the servants of God. Jesus teaches in Luke 16:10 that "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much." Should it therefore surprise us that we never seem to gain greater responsibilities or achieve greater destinies?
But yet, faithfulness is not just trustworthy in doing our tasks and projects of school or work. We have to be responsible in school or work because if we don't, we get horrible grades or performance evaluation which results in loss of benefits/monetary rewards. Everyone in the world pursues after that and it is expected in the secular, you need to walk the talk. But if you are living well outside what about in church and at home?
What's important as a child of God is the need to be faithful in things of God! Do you come to church on time and can you be relied on your words at home? There are hundreds of questions we can ask ourselves but can you comfortably say that in everything of God, the church and at home, you are like the illustrated fourth child who always does everything faithfully and even God, church friends and your parents can testify about you?
We all know that someday we have to account to God for the talents given to us and the investments we have obtained for it. But today let's just do a simple test to see if you have been living a faithful life. Proverbs 28:20a says "A faithful man will abound with blessings." Therefore can you examine yourself before God and say, yes, I've been faithful as I could and I see God's abounding blessings in my life. Sadly, some of us seem to always see our results seep away from us as water runs though cupped fingers.
May the Holy Spirit teach you and empower you to live faithfully before God and man.
blessings,
M.
And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? (Luke 12:42)
