If you are reading this post, then you are one of those to whom God has
granted the gift of life this day. It may look like no big deal, because
after all we have seen so many other days before this one and are still
expecting to see many more.It is easy and common for us to take a new day for granted and not regard it so highly, seeing it as just another 24 hours that will soon pass away to usher in yet another more or less similar day.
Nevertheless, as insignificant as those hours may sometimes seem, the Bible tells us that each and every moment of each and every day matters greatly before God. It informs us that God will judge us for every single thing that we did during our time on earth, be it our words, thoughts, actions, intentions, ignorance, negligence and so on. As the following scriptures show:
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” – 2 Corinthians 5:10
"For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open." - Luke 8:17
“God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” – Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
"But
I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment
for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be
acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." - Matthew 12:36-37
"And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books." - Revelation 20:12
"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." - Hebrews 4:13
"So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God." - Romans 14:12
As mentioned above, God will judge not only wickedness but also righteousness. Those who will enter His kingdom will be given rewards of various kinds depending on how well they served Him. The Bible informs us that:
"the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames." - 1 Corinthians 3:12-15
"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." - Luke 12:48b
"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 17:10
"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done." -Revelation 22:12
“For
the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who
called his own servants and delivered his goods to them...to each
according to his own ability...After a long time the lord of those
servants came and settled accounts with them...So he who had received
five talents came and brought five other talents...His lord said to him,
‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few
things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of
your lord'...Then he who had received the one talent came and said,
‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man...and went and hid your talent in the
ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’...But his lord answered
and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant...take the talent from
him, and give it to him who has ten talents. ‘For to everyone who has,
more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does
not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable
servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of
teeth.’" - Matthew 25:14-30
It is therefore clear that everything that we have done and are doing will have a great impact on us, and that it will all be brought out into the open later on to undergo a careful analysis by God in the full view of everyone. Furthermore, we will all be judged and rewarded individually according to how we personally walked with God, and the glory or shame, joy or misery that we will receive for our actions will be ours to carry alone.
As we go through each day therefore, it is good to take note of this fact, because as the Bible says, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God, and we will all be held personally accountable and responsible for all our decisions and actions on earth, given the fact that we are always free at all times to choose to do what is right.
