God’s Awareness #5—Rewarding Eyes

I had integrity in my relationship with Yahweh and made sure I stayed true to him. Therefore he rewarded me according to my righteousness … in his eyes. With the kind, you show yourself kind. Psalm 18:23–25

Extravagant kindness is at the core of godly living because extravagant kindness is at the core of God’s life. Extravagant kindness, in that the kindness godly people exhibit is above and beyond the call of duty. It flows from the sense of fullness we have as we walk in faithful fellowship with Jesus. We can be extravagant with others as we perceive God’s extravagance with us; in turn, God is extravagant with us as he sees us emulate him. Extravagant kindness, in that our actions toward others are as beneficial as they can be. They flow from our delight in the goodness we experience in fellowship with Jesus. We can be kind because God has been kind to us, and God is kind to us when he sees us being kind to others. God loves to encourage and support us as we fulfill our assignment to represent him in creation. God rewards us when we, like the psalmist, faithfully and creatively imitate our Creator. When Yahweh saw Abraham exhibit confidence in him by kindly allowing Lot to choose the best lands, he committed himself to Abraham’s good. When the Lord saw the grace Paul dispensed in his ministry, he increased the scope of his influence. The more we follow Jesus in the obedience of faith, the more we will become like him, and the more he will extend his grace to us.

Almighty God, “whose eyes are open to all our ways, be gracious to me according to my ways and according to the fruit of my deeds.”