Have you seen them?  The memes that say something like:  “If you share this in the next 30 seconds God will financially bless/heal you in 30 days/add you to His kingdom/be really happy/etc.  For those of you who are not much into social media, the old chain letters are back.

Hopefully you recognize these as ridiculous (at best).  God does not work that way.  Certainly He CAN, but mostly He doesn’t.  There is no magic formula, no right words, no amount of “faith” will manipulate God into becoming your personal genie and grant you your wishes.  I am not saying God does not bless His people.  In fact the opposite is true.  I have been GREATLY blessed by God on MANY occasions; but it has little to do with my ability to “convince” Him.  Instead it has to do with how much I have sought Him.

 

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)(emphasis mine)

 

Obviously the first reward is that we find Him (Jer 29:11).  However because of His great love for us, finding Him, as important and wonderful as that is, is only the beginning.  I am talking about the peace, the strength the confidence we have because of God in our lives.  The more we fully understand God and His love for us, the less of a self-esteem problem we would have.  I am also talking about “getting stuff” (my own personal love language).  I have been materially blessed by God more times than I can count.  That however is not the point.  The actual point is contained within the word that has been translated “seek” in the Hebrews 6:11.  That word carries the idea of investigating, of diligently seeking, even craving.  When was the last time you craved God?  To those people God becomes a rewarder. 

It does come with a warning however.  In John 6:26-27 (ESV)

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.  Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”

We don’t do it for what we get, but we get a lot