“After these things, the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” Genesis 15:1
Ministry or service was not enough for Moses, or the Apostle Paul. Both men had ploughed through the passing pursuits of this world, the deceptive value systems, and the false concepts of religion, to come to the realization that not only was there a God, but that the greatest pursuit in life was to know Him. It was this purpose of that pursuit that eventually so powerfully gripped these men, and millions more since their time, whether they have been kings, or servants. The possibility, even the certainty of knowing God in Christ in this life, became the dominant objective of their lives. But how were they to realize it? How were they to find Him, and as was Jacob’s experience, to never let Him go, not realizing that God would never let Jacob go?
The writer of the letter to the Hebrews, (many believe it to be the Apostle Paul,) puts us on the path to knowing God with certainty. In the eleventh chapter he writes: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He IS, and that He is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” (v.6) The Key to knowing God is faith. It is a faith that is not one of “sight,” but a settled conviction, and commitment of the heart to seek and find God, born out of the knowledge of the truth, primarily through the Scriptures. The Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Roman believers that, “the gospel of Christ, …is the power of God unto salvation.” (1:16) What does he mean by this? The truths found in the gospel of Christ are used by the Spirit of God to convict the individual of his sin towards God, provide for him a knowledge of the way to God in Christ, and then to provide the very power by which the lost sinner can truly believe. That power is a gift of God to believe God, surrender to Christ, trusting Him for salvation, know forgiveness for sins, and be born again by the Spirit. It is in the individual soul’s seeking God, that he finds Him in Christ. This great reward of his seeking not only can be potentially found, but certainly so. It is concerning this matter of certainly finding Him, that the individual needs to be convinced by the Spirit of God. How?
The subject and matter of God rewarding the seeker is of utmost importance. Already we have seen in the book of Hebrews, that God IS a REWARDER of those who diligently seek Him. This is a certain truth. As one writer once said: “God is waiting to be wanted.” Why? Because He is waiting to be found, and this forever. This matter of “reward” can be traced back to Abraham, and beyond, but very clearly in God’s dealings with Abraham. At a crucial time in Abraham’s life, just after he had been instrumental in rescuing Lot, his son in law, from an enemy, that God tells Abraham where he is living, there being still enemies more numerous than he, that “I am thy shield.” (15:1) He assured Abraham that He would be his protector, his keeper, as Abraham did not live in a walled city for protection. God also went on to tell him, “…(I am) thy exceeding great REWARD.” The promise of God was certain. Abraham’s reward was God Himself.
In Matthew’s gospel, in speaking of prayer, Jesus taught His disciples: “…But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall REWARD thee openly.” (6:6) Here Jesus puts before the seeking heart a singular, effective pathway to knowing the Father. It is one where there is the promise of reward, that of finding God Himself, and this openly revealed.
Dear Father, Meet us wonderfully today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.