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Which rewards from God are you expecting?

Faith gives you unexpected blessings.

Ensure that His ways you are not rejecting,

Faith gives you unexpected blessings.

How long have you been waiting for a breakthrough?

Faith gives you unexpected blessings.

Open your heart and allow Jesus to get through,

Faith gives you unexpected blessings.

How old was Josiah when he was made king?

Faith gives you unexpected blessings.

God brought Jesus through Mary, the virgin,

Faith gives you unexpected blessings.

Love your neighbor as you love yourself,

Faith gives you unexpected blessings.

Love God more than yourself,

Faith gives you unexpected blessings.

Have you ever tried to surprise someone? How did that person feel? Has someone ever tried to surprise you? How did you feel? There is a friend who is constantly knocking on the doors of our hearts because He wants to surprise us always. That friend is God. God, who created the words surprise, endless, and blessings, wants to surprise us with endless blessings. He is a forever interesting God, possessing infinite methods to make us happy.

Hebrews 11:5 (KJV) – “By faith, Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”

The question is, how did Enoch live?

Genesis 5:22 (KJV) – “And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.”

Enoch lived a life of faith. He walked with God all his life. Enoch had no idea of how God was going to bless him. He knew the sin that entered the world through Adam and Eve caused all human beings to be mortal because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). He probably knew that one day he would face his death. God blessed him with life that was long enough here on earth hence living for 365 years in this world. Everyone before him in his lineage died; therefore, he was expecting to die just like them. However, he did not die like everyone else. God translated him directly to heaven without seeing death. This blessing was an unexpected reward. It was a blessing that was not experienced by anyone else before him.

When you please God through faithful living, He will give you blessings He has never given anyone else. He will always surprise you with unexpected blessings that you don’t deserve. He will give you rewards that no one can give you. Nobody could take Enoch directly to heaven and make him immortal. Only God could do that. God wants to give you such kind of blessings because He wants to make it clear that He is the one who is working in your life.

Therefore, do not compromise the commandments of God to please men. Everyone in this world has a limit to what they can give you because they possess limited resources. God possesses infinite things because He can create. Do not go to work on Sabbath to please your boss.

In his book, Produced by Faith, Hollywood Producer Devon Franklin talks of how he never compromised on the Sabbath during his career. He said one day, they were short of one cameraman, and he was told to take the place of the cameraman. However, the shoot was supposed to happen one Friday after sundown when the Sabbath was starting. He did not want to annoy his superiors because he wanted to advance his career.

However, he chose not to compromise with the commandments of God and decided to be firm in his faith. He told them he could not shoot the film that day because it would be on the Sabbath. The production crew had no problem with that and allowed him to worship. One of the crew members, who was not a church member, asked him if he could go to church with him on Saturday. Devon agreed, and they went to church together. Devon’s workmate asking him to go to church together was an unexpected blessing.

God is not boring as many of us think Him to be. He is very interesting. We can see the evidence in the wide variety of plants and animals. We can also see that through the broad range of styles used to write the Bible and the various occupations of people that God has used to write it. He is a God who has created billions of human beings and made each one unique. He is a God who never repeats miracles.

Enoch and Elijah were taken to heaven without seeing death, but God used different means to take them. He is full of surprises, always wanting to surprise you. Unfortunately, He does not do that because many people live by sight instead of faith. People rarely act by faith, and unknowingly, they have placed other gods before the almighty God. We pray, but our prayers are not filled with faith.

We often ask God for something but use sinful means to get that thing. For example, we can ask God for a government tender, and instead of complying with His Word when applying for that tender, we bribe or give kickbacks to get it. Psalm 106:3 (KJV) – “Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.” God wants us to act by faith; we can only do that by living by every word that proceeds from His mouth.

It grieves God when He can’t bless us as He wants when we fail to exercise faith. Lack of faith blocks blessings. Faith in action unlocks blessings.

Let’s look at some Biblical examples who received unexpected blessings as a result of faith:

Abraham

Genesis 13:8-17 (KJV) – “⁸ And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. ⁹ Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. ¹⁰ And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. ¹¹ Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. ¹² Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. ¹³ But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. ¹⁴ And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: ¹⁵ For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever. ¹⁶ And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. ¹⁷ Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.”

“Abraham returned to Canaan “very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.” Lot was still with him, and again they came to Bethel, and pitched their tents by the altar which they had before erected. They soon found that increased possessions brought increased trouble. In the midst of hardships and trials they had dwelt together in harmony, but in their prosperity there was danger of strife between them. The pasturage was not sufficient for the flocks and herds of both, and the frequent disputes among the herdsmen were brought for settlement to their masters. It was evident that they must separate. Abraham was Lot’s senior in years, and his superior in relation, in wealth, and in position; yet he was the first to propose plans for preserving peace. Although the whole land had been given him by God Himself, he courteously waived this right.” – Patriarchs and Prophets, Page 132.1, Ellen G. White.

Abraham allowed Lot to choose first. Philippians 2:3 (KJV) – “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” Few people follow this Godly principle. It is the carnal mind’s nature to put oneself above everyone else. This behavior is common in kindergartens, elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, universities, at our workplaces and in our daily lives.

In schools, students want to appear to their teachers that they are better than their fellow students. Bullying, insults and fights take place because some students have put their interests above the other student’s interest. Many of us only give to charity when we have excess. Few can sacrifice what they have for the benefit of another person.

If there is a vacant position in an office, and two people are eligible, many will go to extremes to ensure the other person doesn’t get that position. They will use various evil strategies to eliminate the other person from the competition, from false allegations to murder. We see this happening frequently with politicians. Unfortunately, the world is in its state because many people behave like Lot, and very few behave like Abraham.

What Abraham did was an act of faith. He was older than Lot and superior to him in wealth and position. It was an act of tremendous faith by allowing Lot to choose first. God always rewards faith. He rewarded Abraham by giving him the entire land, including what was Lot’s. He told Abraham to walk in the land’s length and breadth and look north, south, east, and west (everywhere). Secondly, He promised to multiply Abraham’s seed as the dust of the earth or the stars in the sky. God can reward you with so much beyond comprehension for doing a small act of righteousness. Make it a constant habit to do right in God’s sight.

Abraham did not expect to inherit the entire land, and since his wife Sarah was barren, he did not expect to have a child with her. His faith pleased God, and He, who has infinite resources, caused him to inherit the earth and made him a father of many nations. Faith gives one unexpected blessing. Always live by faith.

Lot

Genesis 19:1-3 (KJV) – “¹ And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; ² And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. ³ And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.”

“In the twilight two strangers drew near to the city gate. They were apparently travelers coming in to tarry for the night. None could discern in those humble wayfarers the mighty heralds of divine judgment, and little dreamed the gay, careless multitude that in their treatment of these heavenly messengers that very night they would reach the climax of the guilt which doomed their proud city. But there was one man who manifested kindly attention toward the strangers and invited them to his home. Lot did not know their true character, but politeness and hospitality were habitual with him; they were a part of his religion—lessons that he had learned from the example of Abraham. Had he not cultivated a spirit of courtesy, he might have been left to perish with the rest of Sodom. Many a household, in closing its doors against a stranger, has shut out God’s messenger, who would have brought blessing and hope and peace.” – Patriarchs and Prophets, Page 158.1, Ellen G. White.

A very small act of faith, such as welcoming strangers to one’s house, saved Lot from the destruction of Sodom, the city he lived in. Lot might not be as righteous as Abraham because he gave himself first priority when Abraham told him to choose the land he would go to. Later, while the two angels told them to escape from the city, Lot lingered, but they held his hand. He might have been reluctant to leave the city of Sodom because of its beauty and the plenty of riches it offers.

The same applies to us. We are reluctant to leave this world’s sinful pleasures and share in Christ’s glory. Many Christians do not want to hear of Christ’s second coming because they feel they have not fully enjoyed their lives on earth. Lot might have been struggling with the desires of the flesh, but he portrayed faith when he welcomed the two guests to his house, not knowing they were angels.

Hebrews 13:2 (KJV) – “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Lot entertained angels unaware. Some people invite visitors to their houses half-heartedly. They invite them by word of mouth, but deep in their hearts they wish that the person could reject the offer. Lot was different from most of us.

After the two angels rejected Lot’s offer, he insisted. This act showed his earnestness in inviting them. The hospitality he showed the visitors came from his heart. He cared for the visitor’s comfort more than his comfort. Later on, he offered his daughters in exchange to the men of Sodom who wanted to harm the guests. However, the men of Sodom refused and insisted on the guests. Lot did not know that the city of Sodom would be destroyed. His act of kindness was an act of faith, and as a result, he was saved from the destruction that would happen. Like Lot, we shall receive unexpected blessings through our small, faithful acts.

“Every act of life, however small, has its bearing for good or for evil. Faithfulness or neglect in what are apparently the smallest duties may open the door for life’s richest blessings or its greatest calamities. It is little things that test the character. It is the unpretending acts of daily self-denial, performed with a cheerful, willing heart that God smiles upon. We are not to live for self, but for others. And it is only by self-forgetfulness, by cherishing a loving, helpful spirit, that we can make our life a blessing. The little attentions, the small, simple courtesies, go far to make up the sum of life’s happiness, and the neglect of these constitutes no small share of human wretchedness.” – Patriarchs and Prophets, Page 158.2, Ellen G. White.

Job

Job 42:10 (KJV) – ^“And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.”

“Pray for Those Who Hurt Us—Let us strive to walk in the light as Christ is in the light. The Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed, not only for himself, but for those who were opposing him. When he felt earnestly desirous that the souls that had trespassed against him might be helped, he himself received help. Let us pray, not only for ourselves, but for those who have hurt us, and are continuing to hurt us. Pray, pray, especially in your mind. Give not the Lord rest; for His ears are open to hear sincere, importunate prayers, when the soul is humbled before Him”- Letter 88, 1906, Ellen G. White.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (KJV) – “Pray without ceasing.” We should pray as often as possible and for as many people as possible. Create a prayer list and keep on adding names to that list daily. When you meet or see an afflicted person on the street, silently pray for that person. God turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends. Job was earnestly seeking the well-being of his friends even though he was in a worse state than them.

There is a common ideology that states that for you to help someone else, you should first help yourself. This philosophy has caused many people to take comfort in selfishness and fail to move by faith. Many have decent jobs but cannot contribute to the church or charity or help their parents and siblings because they focus on building themselves first. They deceive themselves that when they have sufficient resources is when they will start helping others.

Unfortunately, they never get to the point of having sufficient resources because money is never enough. The Bible says if you are faithful in little, you will be faithful in much (Luke 16:10). If we fail to help people with the little we have, how sure are we that we shall assist them when we have plenty? Job suffered more severe problems than his friends, but he still prayed for his friends.

Those who want to help themselves first before they help others think in their minds that they can help themselves. We are fully dependent on God; no one has the power to help himself/herself. If Job worked hard to solve his problems and neglected to pray for his friends until he was done solving his problems, he would have died without being able to solve a single problem.

Luke 1:5-13 (KJV) – “⁵ There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. ⁶ And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. ⁷ And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. ⁸ And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, ⁹ According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. ¹⁰ And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. ¹¹ And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. ¹³ But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.”

Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth were both righteous people, walking in the ways of God. Zacharias diligently served God as a priest in his entire life. He conducted his priestly duties with faithfulness despite his wife being barren. He did not wait for God to give him everything he needed so that he could start serving others. He exercised faith by devoting his time and strength to God before God answered his prayers by giving him a child.

Some people are waiting for God to solve their problems first so that they can start praying for others. Unfortunately, they continue having the problems they are having. God might have stored a blessing box for them waiting to be unlocked by praying for others. We are created to be a blessing to other people. Job understood this and portrayed faith despite his affliction. He had his friends’ interests at heart to the point that he might have forgotten his affliction. God gave him an unexpected blessing by turning away his captivity and giving him twice what he had before.

The Widow of Zarephath

1 Kings 17:17-23 (KJV) – “¹⁷ And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. ¹⁸ And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son? ¹⁹ And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. ²⁰ And he cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? ²¹ And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again. ²² And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. ²³ And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.”

The widow of Zarephath had welcomed Elijah to her home and given him her only remaining meal. As God had promised her, she would never run short of supply. God never lies. He did as He had promised. Her son fell sick and died. God healed her son through His servant Elijah, bringing him to life again. That was a tremendous unexpected blessing that she would not have gotten if she had not invited the servant of God, Elijah, to her house.

Many problems today will be solved if we diligently heed God’s voice and obey everything He says. Sometimes we may fail to go to church because of an illness we are having. God might have ordained the church service of that particular day to give you healing. Other times we fail to keep the Sabbath day holy because we have been summoned for a crucial meeting at work and don’t want to lose our jobs. Therefore, we disobey God’s Sabbath. We shall never know which blessings God had in store for us on that particular day because lack of faith has blocked us from accessing those blessings.

Solomon

1 Kings 3:3-4 (KJV) – “³ And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. ⁴ And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.”

Solomon offered one thousand burnt offerings. It takes a long time to burn one thousand offerings, meaning he sacrificed a huge amount of flock and time to God. God was extremely pleased with him that he did something unexpected for him.

What did God do?

1 Kings 3:5 (KJV) – “In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.”

God appeared to Solomon in a dream and asked him what he wanted. We can try to use our imagination and imagine that scenario. It is a beautiful and extraordinary privilege when your country’s president or king comes to you to ask you what you want. It is a rare incidence for them to come to you. Usually, you are the one who might be trying to find ways to go to them to tell them what you want. The God of the universe, the king of kings, is coming to you to ask you what you want. An earthly king may give you a lot of material possessions or power over the jurisdiction under him. An earthly king cannot give you life. He cannot cure chronic illnesses that are incurable by men.

God can give you what no man on earth can give you. God coming to Solomon in a dream to ask him what he wanted was a tremendous honor. It was unexpected. Solomon gave one thousand burnt offerings and did not expect anything in return. God surprised him by coming to him. Later we know that Solomon asked God for wisdom so that he may be able to lead the people. God was pleased by this act of faith because He saw that Solomon esteemed other people’s interests higher than his own. Therefore, he gave him more unexpected blessings. He gave him great wealth and long life (if he obeyed God) in addition to that wisdom.

I once introduced a friend to someone looking for a person to give a social media marketing contract. My friend had just started his career in digital marketing. I praised his abilities to the prospective client until she gave him that contract. After my friend got that contract, I was happy for his success. That client to whom I had introduced my friend to ended up giving me web development and mobile app development gigs while I had no experience in the said skills. Even though I did the assignments she gave me, I learned them on the job. I ended up getting ten times more than what my friend got because she introduces me to clients to this date. Faith gives you unexpected blessings.

Mary

Luke 1:27-35 (KJV) – “²⁷ To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. ²⁹ And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. ³⁰ And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. ³¹ And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. ³² He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: ³³ And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. ³⁴ Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? ³⁵ And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

Mary was preserving her virginity to keep herself pure, not knowing that a blessing awaited her if she succeeded in preserving her virginity till marriage. An angel came to her unexpectedly and told her that she would give birth to Jesus, who is God. Preserving her virginity, which might have seemed minor, made her give birth to God (Jesus). Jesus, who reigns from everlasting to everlasting, came to this earth to seek and save the lost. He had to come in human flesh, advancing in various stages of life as human beings do. Mary got the privilege of giving birth to Jesus. Faith gives you unexpected blessings.

Ephesians 3:20 (AMPC) – “Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams].”

God will bless you beyond your imagination if you live by faith. Faith gives you unexpected blessings.

GOD BLESS YOU!

Prayer

Gracious Creator,
In the refuge of faith, we discover resilience and empowerment. With humility, we implore Your favor, trusting that faith unveils unanticipated blessings. Steer us on the path to inheriting eternal life. May our steadfast confidence in You illuminate the way to the riches of Your plentiful and unforeseen blessings. In Jesus name, Amen.

 Activity

1. Think of all the times that you have received unexpected blessings. Write them down and then thank God for them.
2. Ask God to help you live by faith at all times.

Author: Mark Alex   

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