Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him. Hebrews 11:6 WEB.

"God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food. By His hands we all are fed, give us Lord our daily bread, Amen." We used to pray this at school every morning when I was in the first grade. Still, somehow it is difficult for those words to sink in, "God is good." We can say the words, but sometimes it's not what we believe in our hearts.

While growing up in the South, it was easy to believe that God was mean and apparently very angry. Of that, I was certain. All the thunderstorms and lightning bolts were attributed to "the Lord's work."

Yet, all of the prayers, blessings, and scripture verses that I read spoke of a loving God out there. One who cared about us. "For God so loved the world..." It took a long time for me to reconcile all that, but I later found that He is the One who cares and so much more than we know. When we catch only a small but real glimpse of how much He cares for us, it becomes life-changing. You will never view Him again the same way.

Hebrews 11:6 states that to please God: 1) You must believe that He exists, and 2) that He rewards those who seek Him. Many of us believe that He exists, but to please Him, we must also believe that He rewards those who seek Him. Believe me, He does!

If you have ever heard yourself say, "God never does anything for me," then you do not believe part two. Jesus told us: "But seek first God's Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:31). Jesus never lies.

I find that when I just keep my focus on God, that He takes care of us. I try to set apart a few minutes each morning to pray, read, and listen, and I find that it shapes the course of my day. Sure, I pray small prayers throughout the day, but it is usually too noisy or busy to hear anything meaningful once I have started to work.

God is good, and He does reward those who intentionally seek Him. As you seek Him, He will reward you, usually in that order. Believe that God will reward you today, for you have been seeking Him. "You shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I seek Your face today, and I want You to be the focus of my life. Please guide me today into all that You have for me, and give me the grace to face it with boldness. I choose You, Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: Today is Thankful Thursday at the Ministry Events group! This event gives us an opportunity encourage each other by posting thoughts, moments, and prayers of gratitude for Him, His creation and all that He does in our lives. All our welcome! To join, just click on the group name and then the join link on the page that will follow. As always, if you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network.