Year of Realization - Day 14: Good deeds may seem to go unnoticed.

“And when an inquiry was made into the matter, it was confirmed, and both were hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.”

“After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.”

‭‭ ‭‭Esther‬ ‭2‬:‭23‬-3:1 ‭NKJV‬‬

Psalm 37 was one of my grandfather’s (Aram Mushegian) favorite scriptures. The 40 verses of this psalm take us through the struggle connected with seeing evil people seemingly getting by with their evil, while it seems that a good person struggles.

Here is the way Psalm 37 opens:

“Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither. Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭37‬:‭1‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Yes, it’s hard when it seems that the wicked are rewarded, while those who do good are at best, ignored, or at worst, punished. But, as this psalm goes on to explain, our inheritance is an eternal inheritance. Indeed, our good deeds should be done for God‘s eyes alone. So, we should be satisfied if He alone rewards us. And, make no mistake, He will reward those who have done good in His name.

“Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel. And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering!”

‭‭Acts 10‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Cornelius was an officer in the Roman army. When an angel appears to him, preparing him to receive the gospel and the Holy Spirit, he is told that his prayers and good deeds have caught God‘s attention. However, I doubt when Cornelius was doing his good deeds that he ever thought he would be honored because of them.

Now, although we do sometimes see the fruit of our good works in this life, it doesn’t always happen immediately.

In our opening scripture we see that Mordecai has warned about the plot against the King, resulting in the death of the two would be perpetrators. And, although “it was written in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king,” no accolade went to Mordecai. In fact, it seems that Hamon somehow got the reward for having saved the king. Whatever the case, Mordecai was just completely overlooked. Oh, but we will see more about that in the coming days.

Yesterday we discussed the importance of doing the right thing, of doing good. With that, God must be the only One we look to in terms of a reward. Sometimes, He will have that reward come through the conduit of our circumstances in this life. However, it may seem to be a long time coming.

Just remember, doing the right thing, doing good, should be it’s own reward. And—in due time—the Lord will richly reward.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

#yearofrealization