Monday, May 12- 2 Chronicles 15:7

hey!!
I hope your weekend was great!!



Today, we're going to talk about something we all like and probably wish we had more of in our lives- reward, MORE reward. I'm not just talking about 'things'-although, material things can certainly be a part of our day to day reward sometimes. But, I'm also talking about eternal rewards.


Let's define reward: positive consequence, something given for a special service. In other words, the work done was not over looked, it was deserving of a reward- special recognition.
I wouldn't consider a paycheck or an allowance a reward- I suppose they could be, but I think that's stretching the idea of a reward. I think of something out of the ordinary that was done for someone or many people, a selfless act. I love seeing a reward given to someone who wasn't even expecting it- they just loved, served, worked, did above and beyond what was expected of them. Then, BAM (yeah, just like Emeril)- they're rewarded for it!!


I don't think our society does enough rewarding- we dwell on the negative that people do so much (think of what the news if filled with), that the good things people do is so often over looked. Wouldn't it be cool to have a news cast dedicated to showing us all the good people do and seeing them get the rewards they deserve? That would be pretty uplifting and inspiring.


anyhow,
let's be inspired by today's verse. A little background-
The 'men of Judah' were in the middle of a very hard time. The ruler, Asa, turned to the Lord during this time. Despite the problems of war brought against them- they still sought God. Now, they were being told by a prophet that as long as they stay strong and courageous, their work will be rewarded. So, following that message- Asa, the ruler proceeded to repair the altar of the Lord and offer up worship through a covenant of faithfulness to Him- and the people followed his lead. They eagerly sought after God and found Him. What was their reward? God gave them rest from their enemies on every side. (verses 8-15).

Notice that the reward was exactly what they needed for their specific situation. Notice what they did to receive their reward. Even in the dark times- they were faithful to God. Even when they were told that they were going to be rewarded- they continued to remain faithful to God- they didn't just sit back and wait for it. They were wholehearted in their acts of worship.


material reward: Living by God's standards may result in reward and recognition here on earth. That's COOL!! Scholarships, promotions, good health, awesome career, ice cream (ha! let's face it- we like to reward ourselves with a little something sometimes!). God wants to reward us for our faithfulness. Actually, He has more and MORE reward waiting for us as we choose to make godly choices.

[[side note]]
Let's not forget, this does not mean there won't be hard times in our lives. But, I believe God is watching how we handle those hard times- if in those dark times we grow closer to Him, stronger in Him, and just keep our eyes on Him- there is surely a reward waiting for us.


immaterial reward: when you chose to spend your time investing in the lives of others for the sake of Christ, you may not ever see the reward that comes from that. For example: going on missions trips gives you many, many opportunities to make an impact on someone and allow God to use you to change their lives. If you have been praying for someone to come to the Lord- and you have been witnessing to them, sharing God's love with them- don't take for granted the change that may be taking place in their life. Giving financially to a cause reaps many rewards that we never see. Many times there is the reward of knowing you did something right and good and compassionate- like volunteering, helping someone in need, or just lending a hand around the house. Sometimes the feeling you get from doing stuff like that is reward enough.


heavenly reward: let's not forget the reward waiting for us in heaven. This should never be our only reason for being faithful to God here on earth- because our earthly rewards can be pretty cool, too. But, our heavenly rewards are going to be... unimaginable- limitless- the ultimate!! Way over-the-top amazing!! MORE than we ever deserve!!



So, be inspired today. When it feels like what you do is unnoticed or you're wondering when the light is going to break the darkness- God is ready, maybe waiting for just the right moment, to give you your reward!! But, don't ever forget your heavenly reward awaits you as well. Just stay faithful.



I love you guys- like, for real!!
Pam S.