“Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.” I Corinthians 4:5
How often do we look at people and their circumstances and judge them in our hearts without knowing the whole story? Only God can see their heart and know the reasons that they are acting the way they are. So many times, the faults we see in other people are no different than the ones they see in us. Paul tells the Corinthians not to judge because the time will come when God Himself will judge every man and reveal the hidden things.
The last part of this verse tells us that every man will have praise from God. It will not only be the best, not just a few, not just those who have achieved great things, but every man. God Himself will praise His children.
Matthew 25:23 “His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
We must always remember that God looks at our heart and knows the motives behind everything we do. We may think that our life doesn’t measure up to others who are seemingly doing great things, but the little things are just as important in the eyes of God as the great things. An encouraging word to someone who is struggling, prayer for someone who is going through a time of trouble, a few dollars slipped to a person in need, and even a pat on the back of a teenager who needs some encouragement are all little things that count as great in God’s sight. We may not receive praise here on earth, but one day we shall hear the Lord say, “Well done!”
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us not to seek the praise of men, but be faithful in the things you have asked us to do, that one day we might receive praise from you.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
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