The Being Behind the Doing
Reading: Jeremiah 17-20 " The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve " —Jeremiah 17, 9, 19, NIV. Many people live with the expectation that in the final judgment the good things they have done will outweigh the bad, and they will be allowed into heaven. Just in case they haven't managed to do quite good enough while here on earth and have to go "on hold" in some nether world, they trust that those who remain will say enough prayers and light enough candles to make up their lack. Though we do not believe that heaven is gained through good deeds, we do believe that God will reward us for the good actions we carry out. However, it is very possible that we may not get as big a reward for those good things done in our lifetime as we think we should. From what we see here in Jeremiah, it appears th...