Nov 22,23 - Psalm 18:20,22

The Lord rewarded me

for doing right; I have never

abandoned your principles

Psalm 18:20,22

Let me start by saying it clearly -- our works don't save us.

Faith, instead, is the key to salvation. As it is quintessentially put in Romans 3, "we are justified by God's grace ... effective through faith ... apart from works prescribed by the law."

We are all sinners. Works don't save us. And yet ... according to this Psalm, God nevertheless blesses works.

Like a good parent!

We don't love our kids less when they're ornery and rebellious. (We may like them less momentarily! Exasperation brings little joy. But we don't love them less.)

But here's a basic truth of children and parenting: the more trust they earn by "doing right," the more they are "rewarded" with freedoms and privileges.

Stewardship is an important biblical concept -- and I'm not talking at all about money. The social structure of Biblical times included lots of servants. Some were "good and faithful," others were "wicked." And those with greater capacity to serve were entrusted with increasingly greater freedoms, privileges, and responsibility. (Think of Joseph's increasing responsibility in the house of Potiphar in Genesis 39, or Jesus' parable of three servants being entrusted with different amounts of gold according to their capacity to manage an estate -- see Matthew 25.)

We are God's servants. And his children. And like a good Father/master, it is natural that he will "reward[ us] for doing right." Indeed, the freedoms, privileges, and responsibilities grow as our faith -- and our capacity to steward his blessings -- grow.

The question, though, is this: How much can God trust you? Can you say with David, "I have never abandoned your principles."

Let me interpret quickly that last line. Number one, we all sin. But sin is not necessarily abandoning God's principles. Sin is falling short of the goal. While it is missing the target, at least we still know the target, the true principles, the goal. Our world tries to get us to abandon God's principles, to choose the world's twisted principles instead. David is not saying that he has never sent. Rather, even as an imperfect human he is still aiming at the right target. He has never abandoned God's principles

Therefore, when we aim in the right direction and work to the best of our ability, we are increasingly likely to hear Jesus' benediction at the end of his parable in Matthew 25:21 ...

"Well done, good and faithful servant!

You have been faithful with a few things;

I will put you in charge of many things.

Come and share your master's happiness!"

In Christ's Love,

a guy who yearns

for that benediction

over my life