God has saved failures and called them his own, but he has also prepared good works for them to do. His grace saves us so that our faith is expressed in a life of gratitude. The good work God prepared for us often is difficult and challenging, but God demonstrates that any good work coming from Him is worth the trouble.
After the Israelites were saved from slavery and brought into the promised land, they were commanded to drive out the inhabitants. But the Israelites did not completely follow through God’s commands. Why? Because of their complacency. For one reason or another in their minds, they did not drive out some of the people they were told to.
We have the same problem in our sluggishness of pursuing good works. Our laziness prevents us from taking hold when the easy path exists. For the Israelites, some of the areas they refused to perfectly obey became seeds of their downfall, leading them to idol worship many years later. Like an invasive species, our complacency can breed and fester.
Having a holy expectancy is worth it. If there is a field that God promised, buried treasure when you dig, do not delay! Truly, it’s worth the sweat of physical labor and the pain of buying the field… “In this high interest market? Crazy!” Calculate the cost and the reward. It is worth it, because God is your reward, ultimately, and your Father is worth the sacrifice. If you failed to follow through before, entrust yourself to a faithful God and ask what is He calling you do today.