Mensa Otabil - God's Reward
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God’s rewards for us have no boundaries; He can reward us wherever we are, in whatever country we find ourselves. Acts 10: 35 states, «But in every nation, whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.» This is a follow-up to yesterday’s verse where Peter discovered that God shows no partiality. He continues with his thought, saying, «But in every nation, whoever fears God and works righteousness will be accepted by God.»
So God is not a respecter of race or nation; He does not lift one race above another, nor does He diminish one race below another. It’s one of the truths we must grasp, especially those of us of African descent, because much of society has been programmed to think that there is something wrong with people of dark pigmentation. We often feel we lack the opportunities that others have; we sometimes even lack the mentality of winning that others possess. But life proves this false, and the Scriptures affirm that God has no partiality.
In every nation, God is looking for people to bless, and as long as we remain in the will of God for our lives, then our geographical location or skin pigmentation is neither a disadvantage nor an advantage. Society may view it that way, but God does not. God has not disadvantaged anyone by the country in which they were born or by their physical biological nature. God’s lack of favoritism does not mean we all do the same thing; it means everybody is not going to be a preacher, athlete, or boxer. We can’t all do the same thing because God gives us different gifts, but those gifts are according to His goodness and are not designed to diminish anyone else.
So we do different things, but God is no respecter of persons. Our diversity and differences are neither an advantage nor a disadvantage; they simply mean we are different. Being different should not be seen in terms of value or importance. That is what Peter discovered-that Gentiles can access God just like the Jews do. It was sobering for him as a Jew to think that way. He says, «In every nation, whoever fears God and works righteousness will be blessed by God.»
Two things: Fear God. What does it mean to fear God? It means to honor and respect His principles. If God says «sow and reap,» and you honor «sow and reap,» you will sow and you will reap. God is not going to say, «Oh, you’re a black man; when you sow, you don’t reap,» or «You are in Ghana; when you sow, you don’t reap,» or «You’re in America; when you sow, you reap.» No, we respect God’s principles; they work everywhere, at all times, for everybody. Because of that, we respect, fear, and reverence Him, honoring His rules and regulations. If you honor God in any country, He will bless you.
That’s what the Scripture is saying: God is no respecter of persons. What He looks for are people who honor His principles and live by His rules, and He will bless them. The second thing is those who work righteousness; that means those who do what is right. If I do what is right in Ghana, God will bless me. If you do what is right in South Africa, God will bless you. If you do what is wrong in China, you will not be blessed. So if you live your life with laziness, if you live haphazardly, if you don’t take care of your gifts, if you don’t pursue excellence, if you don’t put quality into what you do, no matter what country you are born in, you’re going to fail. God is no respecter of persons. If the people who are disadvantaged now do the right thing, they will gain an advantage. If the people who are advantaged now do the wrong thing, they will be disadvantaged. Why? Because the principles of God are without respect to race, nation, or geography.
Let us pray. Say with me. Heavenly Father, help me to honor Your principles and do the right thing at all times and in every place. In Jesus' name, Amen and Amen. Well, I’ll catch you again tomorrow. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.