“A faithful person will be richly blessed.” – Proverbs 28:20
The above photo is inspiring. Certainly this is what faithfully walking the path of life is like. Expansive views! Epic mountain! Level path!
But let’s be honest … it doesn’t always feel “blessed” when we are being obedient to walk the path God has told us to walk.
It doesn’t always feel “blessed” when we are being faithful.
Sometimes, for all our obedience and faithfulness we wind up feeling like this …
(droopy from all the weight … but still blooming regardless)
This right here is oftentimes exactly how it feels when we are obedient and faithful to what God calls us to do.
God called Moses at the burning bush (Exodus chapters 3 & 4). God told Moses to return to Egypt and lead God’s people out of slavery … and out of Egypt.
Moses knew how hard this task was going to be.
Moses knew the heavy weight of this assignment. Moses knew the burden of this assignment.
Moses did not want to do this. Moses asked God multiple times to please send someone else. Moses did not want to do this assignment.
But when God calls us … we must obey.
Moses obeyed. Moses was faithful to God’s instructions, and Moses obeyed.
For sure Moses did not feel “blessed” as he was faithful to deliver God’s message to Pharaoh. Moses did not feel “blessed” as he faithfully took a stand in a situation of extreme tension and conflict.
Moses did not feel “blessed” when the Pharaoh responded by making the Israelites’ workload even harder … and as a result, the Israelite leaders told him to his face: “May the LORD look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.” (Exodus 5:21)
Moses did not feel “blessed” as he was faithful to lead the people – following God’s pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night … resulting in the entire nation being trapped against the Red Sea … with Pharaoh bearing down hard in pursuit.
Moses did not feel “blessed” when the people told him to his face: “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?” (Exodus 14:11)
God split the Red Sea … God brought the people through on dry land … and God destroyed Pharaoh and his army.
Three days later the people were complaining at Moses again! (Exodus 15:24)
Moses was being completely faithful! Yet he did not feel “blessed.”
Not long after this, “the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, ‘If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.’” (Exodus 16:2-3)
Moses didn’t even want this job in the first place. But he was faithful. He obeyed. He did exactly as God instructed him to do.
Yet, for all his faithfulness … it didn’t feel “blessed” at all.
It felt like this …
In our own lives we desire to be used by God. We pray that God will use us to do great things for His Kingdom. But oftentimes, being used by God feels a lot like this.
John the Baptist was used greatly by God!
Jesus speaking about John said: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’
“I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John.” – Luke 7:26-28
Without a doubt, John was used greatly by God.
But … sitting in prison, John did not feel “blessed.”
John had been completely faithful to do exactly what God had called him to do. Yet, for all his faithfulness, John was arrested and imprisoned.
Sitting in a dungeon, John had doubts. Sitting in a dungeon, John was questioning if perhaps he had gotten everything wrong. From the dungeon, John sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus: Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Luke 7:18-19)
We too can get to this place in our own lives. We can desire to be used by God. We can pray that God will use us.
We can pour ourselves out in faithful obedience to what God calls us to do.
Yet … in the end … for all our faithfulness … and for all our obedience … we feel like this …
God tells us: “A faithful person will be richly blessed.” – Proverbs 28:20
God blesses those who are faithful.
We might not see it in the immediate.
We might not feel “blessed” in the moment.
But God’s promises are true!
God is trustworthy!
And if God promises that a faithful person will be richly blessed, then this is true!
And so we trust! By faith!
We trust that God will reward our obedience. We trust that God will reward our faithfulness – with blessing.
“A faithful person will be richly blessed.” – Proverbs 28:20
God blesses those who are faithful.
