Mensa Otabil - The Lord Rewarded Me
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Psalm 18, verses 20 and 21: The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands, He has recompensed me. For I kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God. Now, if there’s anything we can say about David, he’s a man who loved God, and he is a man whose heart was toward the Lord. David was not perfect by any stretch; he did some really horrible things, but he always knew how to go back to God, and when he sinned, he knew how to go to God for forgiveness. So he didn’t wallow in his sin, and he didn’t persist in his sin. When he knew he was wrong, he went to the Lord.
David says, «God rewarded me according to my righteousness.» It doesn’t mean he was perfect, but he says, «I was somebody who delighted in the Lord, and I went to the Lord and asked Him for forgiveness.» In the days of David, Old Testament righteousness was based on strictly obeying God’s rules, the Law, and doing what the Law said. But in the New Testament, righteousness is based on what Jesus Christ did for us. He died for our sins; He took our place, and when we go to Him and trust Him for forgiveness, we have His righteousness. So in the New Testament, our righteousness is not our own; our righteousness is a gift that Christ gives to us because of His payment for our sin.
So when we come to God and say, «Lord, treat me according to my righteousness,» we are not basing ourselves on our good deeds. We are saying, «Lord, treat me right because I believe in Jesus Christ. I trust in Jesus Christ; He is my Lord, and He is my Savior. I depend on Him for my salvation; I depend on His blood to cleanse me from all sin,» and that is the basis of our righteousness in the New Testament. On that basis, we can say, «Lord, deal with me according to Your righteous standards because You have made me righteous through Christ.»
If you’re going to count your own good deeds, it’s not going to get you anywhere. You have to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, and He gives you the gift of righteousness. David says something very interesting: " God recompensed me.» God is a rewarder; He’s a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. When you pray, He hears, and He will recompense you. When you trust Him, He knows, and He will recompense you. He knows those who trust in Him and those who do not trust in Him. He knows those who depend on Him and those who do not depend on Him. Those who trust in Him and put all their hope in Him will not be shaken because He is an immovable God. When you trust in the Lord, He will recompense you; He’ll reward you for the trust that you have placed in Him.
So for all of you who are trusting God-maybe you’re trusting God for healing, He will recompense you; or you’re trusting God for a child, He will recompense you; or you’re trusting God to turn around your business, He will recompense you. Whatever you’re trusting God for, remember that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Your faith in God will be rewarded; your trust in God will be rewarded; your confidence in the Lord will be rewarded. When you look up to God, He will reward you; when you talk to Him, He will respond to you. Those who trust in the Lord shall not be put to shame, and God will not leave you in shame. God will not abandon you, and that’s the testimony of David.
From the time he talks to us about his calamities, when he’s surrounded by enemies, he feels as if he is at the door of Sheol, at the door of death. He cries to the Lord; God delivers him, puts him in a broad place, and the Lord recompensed him. That will be your story as well. As you enter a new week, may the Lord show Himself faithful in your life. Let’s pray. Say with me: Heavenly Father, You are the God who rewards. I receive all that You have given me. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.