Galatians 6:9 tells us “And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Hebrews 11:6 tells us “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 10:23 tells us “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.”
These scriptures among many others affirm the notion that it is as we continue to obey God and trust Him, eventually it will pay off. Digging for gold is very much like that. There are many ways to dig for gold, but if you’re going to do it seriously, there is a lot of ‘up front’ investment. You’ve got the costs involved with researching a good place to mine, the costs of mining equipment, mining rights and the cost of skilled labor.
Once you start mining there are no guarantees that you will strike gold. There is an element of faith involved. You have much to invest before you see any results. It is the same with the Kingdom of God. Many times we have to have faith and encourage ourselves if we don’t see immediate results. We need to realize that with every prayer, every scripture we stand on, every seed we sow, every time we allow the Holy Spirit to do more work in our lives, we are headed towards breakthrough.
Jesus said that in the Kingdom of God we need to consider the cost of what we are doing up front. He said the cost of following Him was great. Luke 14:25 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even their own life – such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”
He went on to say “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.” (Luke 14:26-28)
Jesus is reminding us here that there are times in the Kingdom of God where we need to be willing to invest all we are; to put everything into this great endeavor of following Him. The cost is great, but the rewards are also great. Jesus said in Matthew 9:29 “And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return in this life and will inherit eternal life.”
Sometimes we wonder, as we ‘dig for gold’ in the Kingdom of God, when the breakthroughs will come. You better believe digging around in the dirt and rock is no fun, but when you strike gold, it makes all that hard work seem worthwhile. I want to encourage you today, you may be closer to striking gold than you think. Your labor for God is never is vain. It counts in this life and echoes in eternity.
It can be difficult at the forfront of this work, digging away. Alot of hard labor is requred for what seems like no reward. But that is where we need to have faith that our labor is headed somewhere. Jesus statement in Matthew 19:29 was in response to Peter’s question in Matthew 19:28 “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
In effect Peter was saying, “Hey, we’ve invested everything into this Kingdom building effort. We’ve invested our very lives. What kind of rewards are there for that type of labor and effort?” Jesus’ response was very clear. God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. If you believe and don’t waver in your faith, God will be good for His word and His promise.
It can be tempting in the digging phase to think that God has forgotten about us, but don’t let that stop you digging! Trust that as you do, sooner or later, you will strike gold! As you dig, you are learning how to persevere, God is developing character in you. The kind of character you will need to manage the blessing of God.
And I’m not just talking about material blessing in this message. I’m talking about spiritual blessings as well. The true riches; gold that money cannot buy; the only wealth that will truly satisfy! God wants to get you to the place where you’re walking in abundance in every area of your life, but it starts with faith.
Sometimes we can feel the cost of following Jesus is too high, I want to encourage you that the cost of not following Jesus is much higher. As you continue to walk in obedience to His Word and the leading of His Spirit, you will see the manifestation of His promises in your life. If you’re laboring in the Kingdom of God, you’re working in the right place. Others may be running around chasing after gold, but you are chasing the real gold!
And as you do, as you continue to seek the Kingdom of God first, and invest your very life into this Kingdom, you can trust that in due season, in God’s time, the breakthroughs will come. God is a rewarder of diligence! You will strike gold and God will use you to bless multitudes for the Kingdom of God!
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