A Rewarding God

While reading about the well-to-do Shunammite woman, I was struck by something quite uncommon in this story. A miracle happens against her will. She blatantly refused to participate but it happened anyway. Why? Because God doesn’t need your (or anyone else’s) permission to reward you.

Hebrews 11:6 teaches us that God is a rewarder. God recognizes efforts made in faith and He recompensates them. He does not ignore when one has done something deserving of a reward, nor does he forget. We see this in the story of the rich young man in Mark 10. After he leaves with his face downcast as he cannot accept the cost of following Jesus, Peter exclaims that they have left everything to follow him. Because this is an action of great faith, Jesus tells him about the reward that awaits them.

“I tell you the truth,’ Jesus replied, ‘no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age…and in the age to come, eternal life.” Mark 10:29-30

Boaz understood this about God, that’s why he prayed this way over Ruth after hearing of all she had done for her mother in law: “May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” Ruth 2:12

And boy did God reward her, through the hands of the very mouth that prayed this prayer.

The Shunammite woman had done something deserving of a reward. She had disregarded her status, which could have barred her from urging Elisha to come over for a meal, as rich people don’t usually beg. But she instead moved by faith, believing Elisha was a man of God and availing her heart and resources to serving God’s servant. She had gone beyond that which was reasonable to offer, providing Elisha not only with a meal, but his own room to rest in whenever he was in town. God could surely not ignore such great faith. The woman was called in and asked what could be done for her. She expressed satisfaction and contentment over her life…she didn’t need anything. But that didn’t stop Elisha from enquiring further.

“What can be done for her? Elisha asked. Gehazi said, ‘Well, she has no son and her husband is old.’ Then Elisha said, ‘Call her.’ So he called her, and a stood in the doorway. ‘About this time next year, Elisha said, you will hold a son in your arms.’ ‘No, my lord’ she objected, ‘Don’t mislead your servant, O man of God!’ But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.” 2 Kings 4:15-17

One thing I appreciate about this woman’s attitude is that she did without expecting to receive anything in return. But she was dealing with the things of God and whether or not she was aware of it, her actions were a seed and she was now due to reap a harvest. Her objection is on the basis of fear. She fears being misled to hope again when she thinks she knows it’s impossible now to have this privilege. God was ready to do it for her, but she wasn’t, but thank God He doesn’t need our permission to do it. So even with her objection, with her fear of disappointment, God did it.

This seemingly goes against the teaching of faith, that without a person believing God can’t work miracles. Isn’t it funny when we try to restrict God with our theology? Sure, God calls for faith, but doesn’t limit him for doing what he intends to do when it is lacking. Remember the birth story of John the Baptist. Zachariah, unlike Mary, was failing so bad to believe what the angel was saying.

“The angel answered, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.” Luke 1:19-20

What makes me sad for Zachariah is that he had actually been praying to have a child and this was an answer to that prayer. But when the answer comes, he questions it. In his case, it’s probably because it had been so long praying for it, it seemed kinda late for it to happen now. We sometimes pray but without really expecting to receive what we’re praying for, at least not at that particular time, that’s why we’ll tell Rhoda she’s out of her mind when she tells us Peter is at the door, the very thing we’ve been praying for.

At times we tire at following God and doing good for him. We get frustrated and end up speaking like Asaph: "This is what the wicked are like - always carefree, they increase in wealth. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence." Psalm 73:12-13

This is a friendly reminder that you serve a God who hears, who sees, a God who doesn’t forget and a God who rewards (and is faithful at that). It is not in vain. Do not loose heart, keep doing for God for He will faithfully do for you. He is a God who rewards, and his reward outlasts your life span, it is eternal.

“Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Hebrews 10:35-36