Anytime the Bible mentions rewards or blessings for believers based on our actions, my ears perk up. There are many highlighted in the Bible and I believe that Christians should pay close attention to every mention of them, and we should pursue them with all of our heart. Because when God rewards us, that tells us that he is pleased with us. When he blesses us, we know that we’ve done something right. Just like when we get a good grade in school, do our chores without being told, or accomplish something noteworthy in our field of expertise, we please our earthly fathers and are are often rewarded, we can also please God and receive an award. And as believers it should be our duty to pursue the things that please the Lord and avoid anything that disappoint him. One thing that pleases God is our faithfulness to him. Yes, he will forgive us when we are unfaithful, but if we are able to remain faithful, that is a really big deal. It says in Second Chronicles, chapter 27, verse 6:
“Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the Lord his God.”
So, king Jotham was rewarded because he walked steadfastly before the Lord. It was God’s good pleasure to reward him because he pleased God. So if we walk steadfastly before God, we will please him as well. But what does it mean to walk steadfastly? The dictionary describes steadfast as: “resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering”. And when it says that he walked steadfastly, it means that he lived a steadfast, or unwavering, life before the Lord. I would encourage you to consider your walk today. How steadfast are you before the Lord? Does your walk, or your life for God, waver? Or is it resolute or dutifully firm and unwavering? God rewarded king Jotham with power because of his steadfast walk. And now that we know this, we should pursue a steadfast walk as well.
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Maintaining a steadfast walk is difficult. And as our culture drifts further and further away from God, the more difficult it will become. But it is something that we should pursue. We should pause to consider where we are with God. Are we in step with the Spirit or have we fallen off of the tracks, so to speak? If we are unable, or unwilling, to examine how we are living, we may ultimately find that we at odds with who God wants us to be. A steadfast walk is a daily effort. As we take up our cross daily, we are actively pursuing a resolute and unwavering conviction to our Lord and King. I would encourage you to examine your walk. Are you in step, or do you need to make a course correction? Because maintaining a steadfast walk before the Lord is one clear way to please him.
