Recently, I saw a video online where a young man called out his pastor on social media. According to him, he has been giving his tithes for years with nothing to show for it. He said all his other investments have gone down, and things have been really hard. He wants to collect back his tithe.
Friend, God will not owe you. In fact, He does not owe any man, and He is not about to start with you. One of the lies the devil wants you to believe is that it is vain to serve God (Malachi 3:14). He wants you to believe that God has not been fair or faithful to you. He wants to convince or confuse you that all your labours are not reckoned with by God (Jeremiah 31:16).
God does not owe any man. From scriptures, we understand that God has a book of records of our service (Esther 6:1, Malachi 3:16). He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). The challenge most times is that people do not understand how God rewards or what He rewards with.
You need to understand God’s reward system (2 Chronicles 15:7). The timing of God’s reward may not be your timing. It may not come when you want it, but it would come when you need it (Luke 1:5-13). What God rewards with may not be what you expect. A good marriage can be a reward of faithful service to the Lord. Those who were mocking the commitment of Ruth only need to see how her life and marriage turned out (Ruth 1:16, 4:13-17).
Divine preservation can be a manifestation of divine reward. God can spare you because of what you represent in His program and agenda (Malachi 3:17). There is a margin of mercy for faithful servants of God. He ensures that no matter how life tries to edge them in, He provides a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13).
While it is good to expect rewards from God, it is better to focus on the rewarder, not the reward (Hebrews 11:6). Abraham was so fixated on the rewards that he lost sight of God as the rewarder (Genesis 15:1-2). If you keep focusing on what you are getting or not getting, you would keep feeling that God has cheated you. But when you rest in God, He becomes your portion and maintains your lot (Psalms 16:5-6).
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria