the 'REWARD' of 'FAITHFULNESS' and 'LOYALTY'

The reward of faithfulness, the reward of loyalty. Now, talking about loyalty. Loyalty is all about faithfulness and sincere commitment to someone. It could be to God, and it could be to a human entity here on Earth. Your loyalty could also be to an organization or to a cause, a mission. Loyalty is the ability to be sincerely committed to a person, a relationship, a partnership, or a course which one believes in or has committed himself to.

In Luke chapter 16 verse 10, we will have a takeaway on loyalty. And from there, we learn that loyalty implies being very reliable and dependable to someone, accomplishing or an organization. Only consistent business. Loyalty also means acting in the best interest of someone at all times, acting in the best interest of someone at all times, and not only in his or her presence or when he or she is alive.

In Daniel chapter 6 verse 1 to 2, Daniel 6:1-2, New Living Translation, he said, "Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province. The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king's interest." And protect the king's interest.

In John chapter 6 verse 66 to 69, John 6:66-69, from what played out there, we have another insight on what loyalty is about. Loyalty is the ability to continue to support and stand by someone, especially during crisis, to continue to support and stand by someone during defeat, dwindling fortunes, or overwhelming trials.

In First Corinthians chapter 13 verse 7, The Living Bible, First Corinthians 13:7, Living Bible, he says, "If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him."

Loyalty. In Romans chapter 8 verse 35, Romans 8:35, from The Living Bible, he said, "Who then can ever keep Christ's love from us when we have trouble or calamity? When we are hunted down or destroyed? Is it because he doesn't love us anymore? And if we are hungry or painless or in danger or threatened by with death, has God deserted us?"

In Proverbs chapter 17 verse 17, Proverbs 17:17, The Living Bible, it says, "A true friend is always loyal. A true friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need." I pray that more than ever before, you will be a true friend to your friends, and you will be a blessing to your siblings in the name of Jesus. Our reframes are not known in times of pleasure and comfort, but in times of adversity and difficulty. We know at real frames when the chips are down, when in trouble, and all seems to fail, then our reframes stand by us. Such friends are hard to come by because majority of the people would disappoint you when you need them the most. This continues to play out in the affairs of men every new season.

In Proverbs chapter 18 verse 24, Proverbs 18:24, from The Living Bible, it says, "There are friends who pretend to be friends. They are friends who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." And for such friends, no amount of adverse situation around your life can separate them away from you. In at least three instances in the book of Proverbs, the Bible tells us that a poor man's friends, even his relatives, desert him. Both their friends who will never abandon you, who will never disown you, and who will never separate away from you, no matter how bad the situation is around you. Poverty cannot keep them away. Stagnancy cannot make them distance themselves from you. Barrenness, no male child. Every husband is supposed to first of all be a friend to his wife. So when a man deserts his wife because she has not had the fruit of the womb, then that man was not fit to be a husband in the first place. To be a good husband, to be a good wife, you must first of all be a good friend to that person. And whatever a good friend would do, a good husband must do more. A good wife must do more. Good friends are not fair-weather or good-time frames.

I'm still talking about loyalty. True loyalty is expression of unwavering trust and confidence in someone, unwavering trust and confidence in someone or an organization. Loyalty is the unwavering trust and confidence in the capability of someone, the competence of someone, the integrity, the credibility, the promise or assurances of someone, sometimes accompanying or an organization.

In Acts chapter 1 verse 4 to 14, Acts 1:4-14, and then in Acts chapter 2 verse 1 to 4, Acts chapter 2:1-4, the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ believed in the promise and assurances of Jesus, and in his physical absence, they patiently waited for the manifestation of what he had told them much earlier.

Loyalty also means to be very sincere and truthful in your utterances, your promises, and actions towards someone or an organization. True loyalty is proven not just by working closely with someone or serving someone for a long time. That is not proof of loyalty. Sincere loyalty has its roots in the conviction and decision of your heart and conscience to truly support and protect the interest of that person or company. Now, we see that in various companies and government cycles, you see certain officers and staff who appear to be so close to their leader or boss, but their heart is not sincerely with such a leader or boss. Their heart is either divided in loyalty to someone else, or they are actually uncommitted and indifferent to the vision and pursuit of that boss or leader.

God is a rewarder of loyalty. He is a rewarder of faithfulness. And your loyalty to God will be tested from time to time. Your faithfulness to God will be tested from time to time, sometimes intentionally by God, and sometimes by reason of circumstances that will play out.

There are some major attributes of faithfulness. One is honesty. So a faithful person, someone with a very faithful spirit, would not shortchange God, or shortchange the man or woman they are supposed to be faithful to. Number two, faithfulness has to do with being truthful. Three, being sincere. So when someone, when you are faithful to God, you are faithful to a particular person, you will not be given to deceit, you won't be given to pretense, you won't be given to hypocrisy or flattery. You'll be given to vain promises that even from the onset, you know you would not fulfill. What you hear or see about a faithful person is what you will eventually experience.

In Amos chapter 3 verse 3, he said, "Can two walk together except they are in agreement?" And we have seen people go into, for instance, marriage, team up as partners, maybe as a candidate as a president and vice, as a governor and deputy, very close partnership with the principle being deceived to assume that the other person shares his or her beliefs and values, and based on that consideration, they go into such a close partnership. But a faithful person is sincere.

Faithfulness is also when talking about faithfulness, we are talking about a faithful person is a promise keeper. Faithful people are promise keepers. They don't make careless promises, even to their spouses, even to their children. They stand by their words, they stand by their choice, they keep their promise, they keep their vow, they keep to terms of agreement. Faithful men, faithful women, they keep to terms of engagement, contract conditions, delivery dates, specified quality, specified quantity. They keep to them. Faithful people always redeem their pledges, especially when they have the means. They redeem their vows.

And also, faithful people are responsible. Faithfulness is about being responsible. So a faithful man or woman will be ready to go out of their way to meet up with the obligations. They are willing to pay the price of their decisions. So faithful people do not run away from the inconvenience. They won't run away from the pain, the stress, or the restrictions that arise from their choice or decisions.

Faithfulness. In Job chapter 1 verse 8, Job 1:8, Easy to Read fashion, say, "Then the Lord said to Satan, 'Have you noticed my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him. He's a good, faithful man. He respects God and refuses to do evil.'" God's Word Translation of Job 1:8, "The Lord asked Satan, 'Have you thought about my servant Job? No one in the world is like him.' I pray that in the process of time, you will have such a testimony in the heights of God. No one in the world is like him. He is a man of integrity. He is decent. He fears God and he stays away from evil." Now, you can begin to understand why God also so much protected him, his family, and those connected to him. You can also begin to understand why God, one of the reasons why God so much blessed Job.

Job 1:8, The Message version of the Bible, he said, "God said to Satan, 'Have you noticed my friend Job?'" Now, God calls Job a friend. That was another term that was used the same time that God also used with for Abraham. So there is a level you advance in your relationship with God, in your loyalty and faithfulness to God, that God begins to regard you as a friend. He said, "There is no one quite like him. Honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God, totally devoted to God and hating evil."

The Voice version, "Job, my servant, is unlike any other person on the whole earth. A very good man. His character spotless, his integrity unquestioned. In fact, he believes in me. That he seeks, he so believes in me that he seeks in all things to honor me and deliberately avoid evil in all of his affairs."

Then in Proverbs chapter 31 verse 10 to 12, Proverbs 31:10-12, we're talking about loyalty, we're talking about faithfulness to God unto man. The Voice version of the Bible says, "Who can find a truly excellent woman? One who is superior in all that she is and all that she does? Her worth far exceeds that of rubies and expensive jewelry. She inspires trust. She inspires trust, and her husband's heart is safe with her." Samson gave his heart to Delilah, poured out his heart to Delilah, and that was the end of Samson. But for a virtuous woman, a virtuous wife, a husband's heart is safe with her. And because of her, he has every good thing. Every day of her life, she does what is best for him. She does what is best for him, never anything harmful or hurtful.

Then in Proverbs chapter 20 verse 6, faithfulness, loyalty. Proverbs 20:6, Easy to Read version, it says, "You might call many people your friends, but it is hard to find someone who can really be trusted."

The New Living Translation says, "Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable? Truly reliable?"

In Proverbs chapter 25 verse 19, God's Word Translation, it said, "Like a broken tooth and a lame foot, so is confidence in an unfaithful person in a time of crisis." Loyalty to God, loyalty to man, faithfulness to God, faithfulness to man.

Now, there are some relationships and positions that actually require anyone who is going to be in such a relationship with you, opposition. Such persons must be loyal, and they must exhibit a minimum level of faithfulness. And they include a husband to his wife and a wife to her husband. Another kind of relationship that requires faithfulness and loyalty is a personal or family doctor or nurse, a personal or family doctor or nurse. Cooks, by reason of what they do, the sensitivity of the role they play, faithfulness, a spirit of faithfulness and loyalty is required. Nannies, home helps, and caregivers. A personal or family driver, security aides, bodyguards, ABCs, as chief security officers. These are roles that require faithfulness and loyalty. The closest friend of a person, the best friend of a person, should be loyal and faithful to that person. Confidence counselors that manage very sensitive and confidential issues. People come to you and open up on the dark side of their life, past and present. People come to you and they share with you issues that will amount to an headline-making scandal if it was to ever get out. Within the cycle of confidentiality, you will need to replicate or reciprocate that trust that is being expressed towards you by confiding in you, by ensuring you also demonstrate at the minimum level of loyalty and faithfulness by being also confidential and discreet in your management of such information. A personal or family lawyer should be loyal, should be faithful. Unfortunately, we have seen cases where some lawyers actually intentionally conspired against their client, and sometimes a client that passed away, a client for many years. We have seen this play out even with sensitive issues like the will written by the client, and the lawyer teams up with some other party to create a fake one that even favors certain people that never wished that person well when he was alive. A private or personal secretary. These are not ordinary roles. And so, you ever, if you are going to ever take up the job of a private secretary, a personal secretary, you will need to be loyal to that person. You need to be faithful to that person because by reason of that position, you will have access that others may never have to certain private things in the life of that person or his family. A deputy, vice, or assistant to a leader, especially those that are personally chosen or appointed by such a leader based on trust and perceived loyalty. Church members, church workers, and ministers on the pastoral team of any church and ministry must be faithful and loyal to their pastor, must be faithful and loyal to their spiritual father. And situations will play out in the course of time where this will be tested, and people outside the ministry will make observations, even members of your family will make observations as to how faithful and loyal you are to your pastor or spiritual father, not in times where everything is going on well, but at certain critical times when even others may desert him.

Perry Tyler did an interesting piece on three types of people. The first type he talks about are the leaf people. He calls them the leaf people. The second type he calls them the branch people, and the third type of people he calls them the root people. Who are the leaf people, according to Mr. Perry? Some people come into your life, and they are like leaves on a tree. They are only there for a season. They are only there for a season.

Don't commit your most precious inheritance carelessly and hastily. If you do so, the best you could ever give out in life may be given to someone who was only there for a season. For everyone in life, there will be certain people programmed by God to be with you for the rest of your life in some capacity of relationship. You can't, according to Perry, you can't depend on them, count on them. They are leaf people because they are weak and only there to give you shade, like leaves. They are there to take what they need. They are there to take what they need. And as I'm saying this, you come to, it's dawning on you instantly that in our present time, there are more leaf people, people who are just there to take what they can out of people. They want to take advantage of. And as soon as it gets cold or a wind blows into your life, they are gone. The leaf people are gone. So sometimes God can allow you to go through a storm. God can allow you to be very broke, go through some financial stress for a prolonged time, in order to reveal to you the leaf people among your friends.

God can even permit someone to go through a serious affliction just to reveal the weak people, leaf people around such a person. And at the end of that season of trials, such a person will be healed by God and will be restored. You can't be angry with leaf people. It's just who they are.

Then the second set of people he described are the branch people. Can somebody say the branch people? He says there are some people who come into your life, and they are like branches on a tree. They are stronger than leaves, but you have to be careful with them. You have to be careful with them. They will stick around through most seasons, but if you go through a storm or two in your life, it's possible that you could lose them. So it takes a storm to reveal them, and another storm to confirm who they are, because they will leave. They will readjust their relationship with you, even though your character, your attitude of so many years has not changed. Most times, they break away when it's tough. And one beautiful thing about this I'm sharing is that as the message is coming, certain names of people, certain people are coming into your mind, not necessarily in your relationship, but these are leaf people, these are branch people. Obviously, in the lives of certain people, undisputedly, they break away when it's tough. Although they are stronger than leaves, you have to test them out before you run out there and put all your weight on them, put all your weight on them. You have to really test them out. In most cases, they can't handle too much weight. They can't handle too much weight. But again, you can't be angry with them. It's just who they are. It's just who they are.

And then the third and final types of people Perry talked about are the root people. If you can find some people in your life who are like the roots of a tree, then you have found something special. Like the roots of a tree, they are hard to find because they are not trying to be seen. Their only job is to hold you up and help you live a strong and healthy life. If you thrive, they are happy for you. They still, they stay low-key and don't let the whole world know that they are there. And if you go through an awful storm, they will hold you up. They will hold you up.

Their job is to hold you up, come what may, and nourish you, feed you. And what are you may? God give you that kind of man as a husband. May God give you that kind of woman as a wife. May God give you such kind of people as friends in the name of Jesus. Just as a tree has many leaves and many branches, there are few roots. So in reflection on these, look at your own life. How many leaves, branches, and roots do you have among the people in your cycle? And then also objectively, what are you in other people's lives? Are you a leaf, just a leaf kind of person to other people? Are you a branch kind of person to other people? Or are you a root kind of person to certain people? Thank God for the root type of people in your life. In fact, you may go ahead and even reach out to them after this message, just to appreciate them, because these are channels of blessing, destiny helpers that God has sent to your life for a time like this.

In Psalm 18 verse 25-26, from the New Living Translation, Psalm 18:25-26, it says, "To the faithful you show yourself faithful." I pray, and I know that by reason of this message, God is bringing to you right now, some of you who have been so committed to God. God is about to, in return, prove his faithfulness to you in the name of Jesus. Can that man or woman say louder, amen? "To the faithful, you will show yourself faithful." So God is about to show himself faithful to you. God is about to prove himself faithful to you. He said, "To those with integrity, you show integrity." If you, you are the type that will never fail God, then God will never fail you. If you are the type that will never desert God, then God will never desert you. "To the pure, you show yourself pure. But to the crooked, you show yourself true."

Then in Luke chapter 16 verse 10 to 12, we read something quite interesting there. And from the Amplified Bible, he says, "He who is faithful in very little things is faithful also in much." You must have a track record. Every man or woman must have a track record of faithfulness. Every man or woman that is truly faithful must have a track record of faithfulness. And it starts from some little measure, little test, little opportunities. And then as you prove yourself faithful, you are given bigger opportunities, bigger responsibilities. And as you continue to prove yourself at every level, you see an advancement coming up. "He who is faithful in very little things is faithful also in much. And he who is dishonest and unjust in very little things is dishonest and unjust also in much." So you can predict whether or not someone will be faithful by the person's track record. And most times, you may not really know the person's real track record except you are very close to that person, except you are very close. "Say therefore, if you have not been faithful in the case of unrighteous mammon, deceitful riches, money, possessions, who will entrust you with the true riches?" Marriage, for a true committed believer, requires a partner that will be faithful to you. And you first of all has to, you have to be a faithful person, a loyal person. Now, you don't go into marriage with a man who has no track record of faithfulness in his dealings with God. You can see he's unfaithful. Anybody that can deceive God will deceive men, including his spouse. Anybody that can cheat God will cheat on any man, including his spouse. If somebody doesn't fear God, man will not be a problem. And this also applies the other way around. Once you prove yourself sufficiently at a particular level, you are most likely going to do the same thing in a bigger context. That's a reality of life. So if you are meeting a young man and he tells you, "I don't, but as soon as my income gets better, I'll start tithing," you are talking with a joker. You are talking with the joker. And that is why you can entrust things to people based on their past records so far, and then you trust God that with God helping the person, because the person already has a track record, a good one so far, so with God helping the person, the person will maintain that track record. Hallelujah.

And then there was a statement made in The Voice version that is quite very, very notable. It says, "If you are faithful in small-scale matters, you'll be faithful with far bigger responsibilities. If you are crooked in small responsibilities, you'll be different. You'll be no different in bigger things." Now, take note of these. The Voice version, it says in verse 11, "If you can't even handle a small thing like money, you are going to entrust, who is going to entrust you with spiritual riches?" That really medication of this. One of the ways you can assess the measure of the spirit of faithfulness in any man or woman is with the way they prove themselves with money. Money is one of the very, very effective indicators that you can use to test and see what the same person will do in even a more serious circumstance of life.

In Malachi chapter 3 verse 8, Amplified Bible Classic Edition, he says, "Will a man rob or defraud God? It says, 'Yet you rob and defraud Me.' But you say, 'In what way do we rob or defraud You?' You have withheld your tithes and offerings." God's Word Translation, Malachi 3:8, "He says, 'Can a person cheat God?'" We are talking about faithfulness here. We are talking about loyal believers, faithful believers to God, before we can even talk about being faithful to man. And God is telling us here that there are people who cheat Him. There are people who rob Him. You don't need to break into God's house to fulfill what is being spoken of here. And God is giving you one of the indicators. He says, "Can a person cheat God?" Said, "Yet you are cheating Me." Say, "But you ask, 'How are we cheating You, Lord?'" He said, "When you don't bring a tenth of your income and other contributions." It's there. God's Word Translation, Malachi 3:8. Hallelujah.

Tithe has a voice. Tithe and offering, an insurance, an insurance against many things. The command to pay tithes comes with a promise that the Lord will rebuke the devourer for your sake. Each tithe offering you give has a voice. It will speak on your behalf in the presence of God, in the spirit realm. Remember, it was Abel's offering that spoke to God. Cain's offering also spoke to God. Your offering or tithe has the ability to speak.

And still talking about tithe, take note of this: no income is too small. He that is faithful with little will also be faithful with much. So God most of the time will test you. We watch you by first of all giving you access to something smaller than the real thing that He will bring your way in the days ahead. May you pass every season of divine testing in your race of destiny.

Now, in closing, there are benefits of faithfulness and benefits of loyalty. Talking about benefits of faithfulness, when you are faithful and you exhibit the attributes of faithfulness, people will consider you as a trustworthy person. People will consider you as dependable. Genesis 18:17-19. People will consider you as faithful. People will also take you and your words very seriously. People will consider you a principled person. And then people will consider you a person of honor. People will consider you a person of integrity. You will earn a good reputation and a good name amongst people beyond your location. People will confidently vouch for you, endorse you, and highly recommend you. All of these qualities will open numerous doors of opportunity to you and qualify you for consistent promotion and higher appointments. Can that faithful man or woman say amen?

And then talking about benefits of loyalty, loyalty is rewarded. Always rewarded by God. And loyalty is rewarded after it has been sufficiently tested and proven. In Matthew chapter 6 verse 33, Matthew 6:33, King James Version, he said, "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and then all these things will be added unto you." God will always reward your faithfulness. He will always reward your kingdom commitment. He will always reward your loyalty. But it will first of all be tested and it sufficiently. Anytime your loyalty is extensively and sufficiently tested and proven, you will naturally earn more trust. Can I tell you this? A good name can give you access to millions, and even in the billion bracket, without collateral. Someone can stand for you who has the capacity to pay back amid the millions or billion involved, based on your proven integrity, faithfulness, or loyalty, as the case may be.

And lastly, loyalty is a powerful seed that attracts favor. It's a powerful seed that attracts promotion. Faithfulness is a powerful seed that attracts reward. It attracts honor. And I'm talking of things. These are things you would not be the one lobbying for. Your loyalty and faithfulness will touch the heart of someone or some people somewhere, and they will sit and initiate that they favor a kind of favor should be extended to you. It's coming for someone here. Will sit and conclude that it's time for you to be promoted. And it sometimes it can really get interesting because you, we have seen situations where someone somewhere will say, "No, nothing will be done except this man is first of all promoted." A major promotion is coming for someone listening to this message. Can that man or woman say louder amen? May the hand of God come upon you for that great promotion in the name of Jesus. May your years of loyalty in that direction be finally rewarded. May your years of faithfulness in that direction be finally rewarded.

All those good things you have been doing secretly and unknown to so many people publicly, God will honor and reward you now. God will publicly honor you now. God will publicly reward you now. God will publicly promote you now. God will publicly announce you now. God will publicly present you now in the name of Jesus. So shall it be in the name of Jesus. Your reward is coming. Your promotion is coming in the name of Jesus.