Psalm 31:23
23 O love ['ahab] the LORD [Yahovah], all ye his saints [chaciyd]:
for the LORD [Yahovah] preserveth [natsar] the faithful ['aman], and
plentifully [yether] rewardeth [shalam] the proud [ga`avah] doer [`asah]. KJV-Interlinear
23 O
love the Lord, all you His godly ones! The Lord preserves the faithful, And
fully recompenses the proud doer. NASB
This verse has two
applications. In both, the good aspect
and the bad, the Lord deals with believers in abundance and never short changes
anyone, when it comes to providing or applying them with that which they are
due.
Gods expectations of each
person are made very clear throughout the scriptures. The mandates are clear, the examples are
clear, the parables are clear. There is
no question left that anyone can look to, in order to get an even more clearer
answer.
And yet the vast majority
of believers do not comply with Gods mandates.
They remain in their world of pretense and self-defined spirituality.
And so, God deals with
everyone accordingly.
For those who advance
properly in their spiritual lives, there is an abundance of reward and
blessing, both now and in eternity.
For those who fall short
of that which is expected of them, due to their indifference, do to their neglect,
do to their stubborn refusal to comply with Gods mandates, there is likewise an
abundance of punishment, or the abundance of the removal of blessings.
God does not give a
little or take a little. He either gives
a lot, or takes a lot.
Plentifully, ‘yether,’
means an abundance, or that which is far beyond what is necessary, as in the
case for positive rewards.
As for punishments, God
likewise gives plentifully, and does not withhold punishment, or let up, when
the punishment is due and proper. In the
case of reward lost, God does not and will not forgive and forget and give out
blessings anyway.
So, if you think that
your sincerity will get you by, or if you think that God will give you
something anyway, once you get to heaven, then you are mistaken.
The only things certain that
any believer will receive in heaven and eternity will be eternal life and a
resurrection body.
As to rewards, then look
to the many good things in this world as an example guide for similar rewards
for eternity. There are the obvious
things like gold and jewels, but then there are the more subtle rewards like promotion,
talent, abilities, insights, innovative abilities, privileges, and this
infinite list continues.
So, missing out on
eternal rewards means missing out on a huge array of blessings, even beyond
ones imagination. And that qualifies as
abundant.
There is incentive for
complying with Gods expectations, but you really have to want to know God,
fully. You really have to want to grow
up in accordance with His expectations. You really have to want to complete
yourself and fulfill your meaning and purpose correctly, not by some poorly
defined pretense.
Lest, you fall short, and
worse, do not discover your shortage until after death, when it is too late for
you to change.
