Expecting rewards for doing right

2 Kings 5 tells of Naaman being healed of a skin affliction by the prophet Elisha. Naaman, ecstatic to be healed, attempts to offer Elisha a gift as a show of gratitude. But Elisha answers (2 Kings 5:16, NLT),

As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept any gifts.

Had Elisha accepted a gift, that acceptance would have signaled that Elisha did something worthy of praise. But Elisha correctly interprets that any seemingly righteous action, whether supernatural or not, comes from God, the creator of all righteousness. Reading between the lines, Naaman should have offered his gift directly to God. And since God does not want our materialistic possessions, that gift should have been one of humble praise.

On a more general note, in this midst of our sinning, if we happen to do something righteous, we should not suddenly expect some sort of reward. Rather, as Jesus says in Luke 17:10 (NLT),

When you obey me you should say, 'We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.'

Simply put, we must obey God, and realize that harmony with him is reward enough!

A quick morning prayer

Too often, it seems like our days lose spiritual focus almost before they even begin. It takes discipline, but saying a quick prayer first thing in the morning can help place our spiritual concerns upfront in our lives.

Verse 8 of Psalm 143 (a psalm of David) presents a simple, easy-to-memorize morning prayer. I especially like the KJV rendering of that verse,

Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

Note that, in several short phrases, David expresses his desire to hear God, to trust God, and to follow God. This passage highlights that effective prayers need not be long!

What we "see"

In the 6th chapter of 2 Kings, the army of Aram has surrounded Dothan, with the goal of capturing the prophet Elisha. One of Elisha's servants expresses alarm at the sight of Aram's large army, to which Elisha responds (2 Kings 6:16, NLT),

Don’t be afraid! For there are more on our side than on theirs!

How can that be? Does Elisha have his own army? No, but he does have God on his side. Elisha then prays (2 Kings 6:17, NLT),

O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!

The servant then sees the hillside filled with horses and chariots of fire!

What the servant fails to see, prior to Elisha's prayer, is God's infinite power to deliver his people from even the most dire of circumstances. We, likewise, must learn to focus on spiritual powers, rather than earthly strengths. Today, let us focus on the message from Proverbs 17:24 (NLT),

Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

What we need from God today

That natural emotional ups-and-downs of life inevitably include unexplained feelings of sadness and anxiety, to which we can pray to God for relief. But there's something even more important that we need from God on a daily basis. Specifically, we need him to shine light on our sinful behaviors, so that we can change our ways.

But asking God to shine light on our sins is, to put it mildly, not easy!

The last two verses of Psalm 139 combine these two things we need daily from God, and therefore, they make a great daily prayer. First, those verses ask God to search our hearts and identify the sources of our sadness and anxiety, and then they ask God to make us aware of our sins (Psalm 139:23-24, NLT),

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
    and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Today, try praying these two verses.

Acceptance by God, not by people

The end of Acts chapter 12 finds the people of Tyre and Sidon having some sort of political squabble with Herod Agrippa. To make amends, Herod delivers a speech, which is warmly received (Acts 12:22, NLT),

The people gave him a great ovation, shouting, "It's the voice of a god, not of a man!"

Herod's political skills obviously have resolved the conflict. And what's more, the people are exalting him. Great news!

Unfortunately, Herod must have let the adulation from the people go to his head. In Acts 12:23 (NLT),

Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people's worship instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died.

We are all guilty of seeking the acceptance, or perhaps even the adulation, of other people. And certainly, it's nice to be liked! But that desire for human acceptance inevitably creates a ripe environment for sin. Let us, in all we do, keep God first, and give all credit to God.

Learning from discipline

Proverbs 10:17 (NLT) states,

People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life,

but those who ignore correction will go astray.

Zephaniah 3:1-2 (NLT) hits a similar theme,

What sorrow awaits rebellious, polluted Jerusalem,

the city of violence and crime!

No one can tell it anything;

it refuses all correction.

How do we react when misfortune comes? Do we become so focused on our situation that we forget about God? Even worse, do we become angry at God for letting misfortune happen?

We should recognize that God's discipline is a spiritual test, as uncomfortable as that thought might be. How should we respond to those tests? The life of David provides a perfect example for us to follow. He was always quick to confess his sins and submit to God.

Of course, emulating David is easier said than done! But let us strive to match his humility and Godly spirit.

What are we working for?

It's easy to become so wrapped up in our daily work, that we forget about God. But that's a big mistake! Psalm 127:1-2 (NLT) says,

Unless the Lord builds a house,
    the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the Lord protects a city,
    guarding it with sentries will do no good.
It is useless for you to work so hard
    from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
    for God gives rest to his loved ones.

That same theme appears in the book of Ecclesiastes. The message is this: Even our most focused, diligent efforts cannot overcome God's will. As Proverbs 16:33 (NLT) states,

We may throw the dice,
    but the Lord determines how they fall.

So whatever it is we do day-to-day, we should do it for God's will.

God's light, by which we see

The sun and moon allow us to see physical things by day and night. But what is our source of light that allows us to see spiritual things? Psalm 36:9 (NLT) makes clear that the answer is God,

For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.

God's spirit serves as our light to spiritual matters, both in good and bad times. That spiritual light is infinitely brighter than the physical light provided by the sun and moon, but we must open our eyes to see that spiritual light. Unfortunately, we all too often close our senses to spiritual matters.

Today, let us open our eyes to see God's spiritual light. We can do so by praying without ceasing!