Under the Watchful Eye of the Rewarder

 

Matthew 18:10

“Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.

Exodus 15:2

The lord is my strength and my song;  he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him—  my father’s God, and I will exalt him!

Hebrews 11:6

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Psalms 84:11

For the lord God is our sun and our shield.   He gives us grace and glory. The lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.

Under the Watchful Eye of the Rewarder: Finding Strength in the Sanctuary of Grace

Hey there, friends.

Go ahead and grab a warm cup of coffee or tea, find a comfortable spot, and let’s pull up a couple of chairs. Life moves fast, doesn’t it? Sometimes it feels loud, fractured, exhausting, and heavy.

But today, I want us to take a deep breath together and look at a beautiful thread running through five different Scriptures: Matthew 18:10, Exodus 15:2, Hebrews 11:6, Romans 6:23, and Psalm 84:11.

At first glance, these verses might seem like puzzle pieces from completely different places in the Bible. But when we put them together, we see something beautiful.

We see a God who sees us, values us, invites us to trust Him, gives us what we could never earn, becomes our strength when ours runs out, and watches over those who seek Him.

So let’s unpack this together like old friends sitting down for a heart-to-heart.

Step 1: You Matter to God

Jesus says in Matthew 18:10:

“But see that you don’t despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.” — Matthew 18:10 NLT

The Greek word translated “despise” is kataphroneō (καταφρονέω). It carries the idea of looking down on someone, treating them with contempt, or considering them of little worth.

Jesus was speaking about the “little ones” in the context of His teaching, and we should be careful not to stretch this verse beyond what it actually says. But the heart of His message is unmistakable:

Do not treat someone whom God values as though they are worthless.

And what about those angels?

Jesus' words certainly remind us that God’s care for His people is greater than what we can see with our own eyes. Christians have understood this passage in different ways, including the possibility of guardian angels, but Scripture does not give us enough detail to turn that possibility into a complete doctrine of angelic “security assignments.”

What we can know is this:

God sees His people.

You are not invisible to Him.

You are not an accident.

You are not too insignificant for His attention.

And neither is the person sitting beside you.

That matters because sometimes life has a way of making us feel small.

But God doesn't measure your worth by your productivity, your bank account, your mistakes, your past, or how much you accomplished today.

You matter because you belong to Him.

Step 2: Crossing the Threshold of Faith

Hebrews 11:6 says:

“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” — Hebrews 11:6 

The Greek word for faith is pistis (πίστις).

It means faith, trust, confidence, or faithfulness. It isn't merely saying, “Yep, I believe God exists.”

Biblical faith involves placing our trust in God.

It's saying:

“God, I don't understand everything, but I trust You.”

And goodness, haven't we all had days when that's about the best prayer we could manage?

Sometimes faith doesn't look like confidently marching forward with all the answers.

Sometimes faith looks like taking one more step while saying,

“Lord, I don't know what You're doing, but I'm still holding Your hand.”

Hebrews tells us that God rewards those who sincerely seek Him.

That doesn't mean God becomes a vending machine where we put in enough faith and get whatever we want.

It means God Himself is faithful to those who seek Him.

The greatest reward isn't simply receiving something from God's hand.

The greatest reward is knowing God Himself.

Step 3: Trading What We Earned for What We Could Never Earn

Romans 6:23 says:

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” — Romans 6:23 NLT

Paul uses an interesting contrast.

The Greek word for wages is opsōnion (ὀψώνιον). It could refer to pay or provisions, including a soldier's pay.

In other words, wages are something earned.

But then Paul turns everything upside down.

“The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life.”

The Greek word for gift is charisma (χάρισμα), a gift freely given by grace.

It is related to charis (χάρις), meaning grace or favor.

And that's the beautiful part.

You cannot earn a gift and still call it a gift.

God's grace isn't a paycheck.

It isn't something we clock in and earn.

It is God's gracious gift through Jesus Christ.

We bring Him our sin, our failures, our mess, our brokenness—and He offers us life.

That's grace.

And as someone who has experienced plenty of God's grace in my own life, I can tell you this:

I am mighty thankful I don't have to earn what God freely gives.

Step 4: When God Becomes Our Strength and Our Song

Exodus 15:2 says:

“The LORD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him—my father’s God, and I will exalt him!” — Exodus 15:2 NLT

Picture the Israelites standing on the other side of the Red Sea.

Behind them was an army.

In front of them had been an impossible obstacle.

There was no human solution.

But God made a way.

And when they reached the other side, they sang.

The Hebrew word for strength here is ʿoz (עֹז), which carries the idea of strength, might, power, or security.

And the word translated salvation in many translations is yeshuʿah (יְשׁוּעָה), meaning salvation, deliverance, or victory.

There is a beautiful connection here to the Hebrew name Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ), the name Jesus bore, which is related to the same Hebrew root associated with salvation and deliverance.

But we don't need to force the words to make the connection beautiful.

Jesus truly is our Savior.

And when our own strength runs out, God remains strong.

When we don't know how we're going to get through the next day, He is still God.

When the road gets rocky, He is still God.

When the laundry piles up...

Well, apparently He is still God there too! 😂

Yesterday, Ross and I tackled a chore that had been waiting for us for quite a while.

We packed up what seemed like an entire Jeep full of laundry and headed to the laundromat.

We washed.

We dried.

We folded.

And we did that for more than four hours!

Of course, right in the middle of it, I had to leave for about 45 minutes for a scheduled meeting at church.

Then there were all the regular chores waiting for us at home—and with our many pets, there is always something that needs doing!

By the end of the day, we were tired.

But you know what?

It was just life.

Sometimes serving God doesn't look like standing behind a pulpit.

Sometimes it looks like folding mountains of laundry with your husband.

Sometimes it looks like taking care of animals.

Sometimes it looks like showing up for a church meeting when you're already tired.

And sometimes it looks like making a giant pot of chicken tortellini soup for people you love.

That's where I am today.

I'm making a big pot of soup and sharing it with those close to me.

And I may even make some zucchini bread.

Yum!

Because I truly love serving God, His people, my family, and my friends.

And you know what?

It brings me great joy.

Maybe that's another little glimpse of what it means for God to be our strength and our song.

Step 5: Rest in the Sun and Shield

Psalm 84:11 says:

“For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.” — Psalm 84:11 NLT

What beautiful pictures.

A sun.

A shield.

The sun gives light and warmth.

A shield provides protection.

The Hebrew word for shield is māgēn (מָגֵן), a word used for a protective shield.

God is not promising us a life without difficulty.

We know better than that.

Yesterday had laundry, meetings, chores, pets, and exhaustion.

Today has soup, bread, responsibilities, and whatever else gets thrown into the mix.

Life is still life.

But God is still God.

And when Scripture speaks of those who walk uprightly, it isn't telling us that we must achieve perfect performance before God will love us.

Throughout Scripture, God calls His people to walk faithfully with Him.

Our confidence isn't in our perfection.

Our confidence is in His grace.

That is a very different thing.

Bringing It All Home

So, my friend, let's tie these threads together.

If you feel small today, remember kataphroneō.

God does not tell us to look down on the people He values.

If you're struggling to trust Him, remember pistis.

Faith means placing your trust in the God who is worthy of it.

If you're exhausted from trying to earn God's love, remember charisma.

God's gift of eternal life is grace—not a paycheck.

If your strength is running low, remember ʿoz.

God is our strength.

And remember yeshuʿah—salvation and deliverance.

Our Savior is Jesus.

And when you need somewhere to rest, remember the picture from Psalm 84.

God is your sun and your shield.

Yesterday Ross and I spent four hours dealing with laundry.

Today I'm going to make chicken tortellini soup and maybe zucchini bread.

Tomorrow there will be something else.

That's life.

But right in the middle of all those ordinary things, God is there.

He is there in the laundromat.

He is there in the church.

He is there in the kitchen.

He is there when we're exhausted.

He is there when we're serving others.

And He is there when we finally sit down at the end of the day and say,

“Lord, thank You. You got me through another one.”

My friend, you don't have to wait for some huge spiritual moment to find God.

Look for Him in the ordinary.

He is there.

He sees you.

He loves you.

He strengthens you.

He gives grace.

And He invites you to keep walking with Him.

So today, let's serve where we can, love the people God has placed around us, and trust Him with everything we cannot control.

And if there's chicken tortellini soup involved...

Well, I think that's just an extra blessing! 😂❤️

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for seeing us even when we feel small or forgotten.

Thank You for reminding us that our worth doesn't come from what we accomplish, what we own, or how perfectly we live. Our worth comes from You.

Lord, strengthen our faith. Help us trust You when we don't understand what You're doing. When our strength is gone, be our strength. When we are afraid, be our refuge. When we are tired, give us the grace to take one more step.

Thank You for the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ—a gift we could never earn.

Help us recognize You in the ordinary parts of our lives: in our homes, our families, our work, our churches, our kitchens, our friendships, and even in the piles of laundry waiting for us!

Give us opportunities to serve others with joyful hearts.

Let our lives become a reflection of Your love.

And when we are weary, remind us that You are our sun and our shield.

We love You, Lord.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

and the power,

and the glory,

forever and ever.

Amen.

❤️ BELIEVE, OBEY, BE BLESSED AMEN

 BOBBA ❤️

Love, Penny 💛 

#Godisgood #faith #devotional