Listening to the Holy Spirit:
The reward of the Father is greater than the world. All that is offered of the world is of greater cost to he who receives it. The reward of the Father is a great inheritance of a limitless King to he who has been adopted. Beyond measure are the gifts of eternity. Do not trade, for the enemy knows the worth of the eternal, given once to him, but forfeited through pride and greater greed. Do not vie for these as well; they are the treasures of fools, trading bread for sand, and cool water for salt. I give you years, that you may seek My ways, and know the heart of He who calls you. For the treasure of this world is not treasure; it is a small means, that you might discover and dedicate what has been given to you in true treasure. A child wrestles for the worthless, and holds close what is without life, but he who serves the Lord will gather great heaps, enough and more in the Kingdom of the Father. Listen as the Spirit speaks to you. You have been created and redeemed for greater than mere wealth of the earth, or forgotten pride of men. You are a child of the Most High; set your eyes on things above, that you would not be choked off by that which is just the means.
Col 3:23-24 (ESV) – Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
Matt 6:17-18 (ESV) – But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matt 25:23 (ESV) – His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
Luke 19:17 (ESV) – And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’
Taking It to Work:
In the workplace, we are often rewarded for good performance. Bonuses, profit sharing, and commissions are commonplace and widely acceptable across the globe. The rewards for hard work, perseverance and dedication are hallmarks of successful careers and companies, and are a mainstay of how managers let individuals like us know we’ve done a good job. It feels good to be noticed, appreciated, and rewarded, for a job well done.
You know who else believes in the power of rewards? God Himself. How do we know? Well, although it is not talked about much, or emphasized from the pulpit now-a-days, God has declared throughout His Word, that there are many rewards available for good spiritual behavior or performance. Now that may sound wrong, shallow, or even selfish to think about, but rewards were God’s idea. Jesus was not embarrassed to offer them, and we should not feel embarrassed to talk about receiving them.
Let’s look at some examples:
In the parable of the talents: He rewards those using His blessings wisely. He rewards them with the privilege of having greater responsibility, and partaking in the Master’s joy. (Matt 25:14-30)
In the parable of the minas; very similar. He rewards the responsible individuals with a charge over multiple cities. (Luke 19:11-27)
Jesus told us to fast in secret, and how the Father who sees in secret will reward us. (Matt 6:17-18)
He talks about the reward in Heaven for the persecuted. (Matt 5:12)
He said doing good for your enemies earns a reward. (Luke 6:35)
When we give with the right heart, it will come back to us. Pressed down and running over. (Luke 6:38)
Inviting the poor to dinner invokes a reward. (Luke 14:13-14)
…and Jesus said when He returns, His reward will be with Him (Rev 22:12). Now, I don’t think that is talking about our salvation. That was His work on the cross, not ours. I think He is referring to Matt 16:27 when He says “He will come in glory and repay every man according to his deeds.”
Paul spoke of rewards as well…
When we work hard for the Lord, we will receive an inheritance from the Lord. (Col 3:23-24)
He also spoke of running in a way to receive the “prize”. (Phil 3:14)
This list does not count the many crowns that will be awarded, nor does it include all the many, many Old Testament promises of blessings that are designated for the righteous and Godly.
Let this reminder lift you. Just like at work, you will be rewarded, and are being rewarded, for much of the good you are doing in life. Some call it Karma. Those of us that know scripture, know it is really the “Law of Reaping and Sowing” (2Cor 9:6. Gal 6:7), and we know personally the good Author of that law!
God is paying attention, and is pleased to reward His children, even if they don’t want to make a big deal about it.
Feel appreciated, as His Word works in you, today.
