No Good Deed . . . . Part Two

No Good Deed Goes . . . Part 2

Written by Dr. Bill Bagents

“For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown to-ward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end” (Hebrews 6:10-11).

No good deed done righteously to the glory of God goes unnoticed, unappreciated, or unrewarded. But that doesn’t mean that the reward will always be obvious, immediate, or earthly. And upon reflection, that’s amazingly encouraging.

God rewards better than we have any right to expect. Scripture offers many exam-ples.

• In return for helping the spies escape, Rahab asked that her family be spared (Joshua 2:8-14). Not only was her family spared, but she became the great-grandmother of King David (Matthew 1:5-6). On top of that, she’s listed in the Honor Roll of Faith (Hebrews 11:31).
• In return for great faithfulness, Caleb asked for the portion of Canaan where the giants lived (Joshua 15:6-15). Joshua 15:11 tells us that his strength and eyesight were unabated by age.
• David wanted to build a house for God (2 Samuel 7). Though God didn’t allow that, He rewarded David with these words, “Your throne shall be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:16). What an acknowledgement of a good intention!
• Solomon chose wisdom when offered opportunity to request a gift from God (1 Kings 3). Because his request pleased the Lord and showed humility, God also gave him wisdom, riches, and honor above everyone on earth (1 Kings 3:13).
• An unnamed widow chose to give her all, two tiny coins, to God (Mark 12:41-44). For her act of faith, she lives forever as a shining example of trust and good will.
• A woman anointed Jesus with costly fragrant oil (Mark 14:3-9). For her act of faith, “Wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.” What amazing return on an investment!
• In the earliest days of the church, Barnabas sold land and brought the money to the apostles for the common good (Acts 4:36-37). God rewarded him with a role in helping Saul “plug into” the church in both Jerusalem and Antioch (Acts 9:26-27, 11:25-26). The Holy Spirit chose Barnabas to lead the first divinely called mission team (Acts 13:1-3).