Seeking A Reward Or Seeking THE Reward

 

 ““After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

 

“Do not be afraid, Abram.

    I am your shield,

    your very great reward.”

Genesis 15:1

 

 

We are often enticed by rewards.

I fear even when it comes to our heavenly rewards we anticipate with great excitement walking the streets of gold, reuniting with loved ones who have gone on before or going to that place He has prepared for us.

While each of these may be exciting in their own right what could possibly compare with the reward of God Himself.

Think about it!

United with God for all of eternity.

As God promised Abram those many years ago that He Himself would be Abram’s shield and his very great reward, so too we can have God as a reward nothing else can compare to!

Can I let you in on a little secret?

We don’t have to wait.

Here and now God is your very great reward.

If you are a child of God, He lives within you through the Holy Spirit.

I double dog dare you to top that reward!

So here is our challenge –

Seek to live with the understanding that God is your very great reward.

Not only into eternity but at this very moment too!

See if that doesn’t change your perspective on the storm you may be facing or the struggle that doesn’t seem to end.

God is – right now – your very great reward!

A-L-L

 

“The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.”

Matthew 15:25

Let me ask you a question.

As a disciple of Jesus Christ what compartment of your life need not yield to His Lordship?

Finances? Relationships? Family? Future Plans? Career?

Of course the list could go on and on.

And the obvious answer is that all parts of our lives need to come under His Lordship.  

But perhaps there are a couple of areas you are struggling to surrender right now.

Here’s the good news:

God meets us where we are.

Each of us is a work in progress.

Yes, I know that you’ve heard those words before but they apply to His Lordship as well.

For example, I did not surrender my life to Him one moment and beginning tithing the next.

He did not banish me form His presence because of that!

The Holy Spirit works in each of our lives bringing us closer in surrender to the Lord throughout our days.

I am not fully surrendered to His Lordship 100% and I suspect neither are you.  

But we used to pray –

Lord: Make me willing to be made willing.

I think that is an honest request and I believe God honors it.

So let me challenge you with this –

Are you willing to be made willing to surrender ALL to Him as Lord?

Something to consider!

Savior and Lord

 

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”

Luke 6-46

In their simplest forms -

Savior is defined as: one who brings salvation.

Lord is defined as: one having power and authority over others.

While they are two quite different things, when it comes to our faith in Jesus Christ as both savior and Lord they have at least one thing in common.

We are given the choice.

He is savior to ‘whosever will’.

He is Lord when we, in obedience, surrender to His Lordship.

Surely, the day will come when “...every knee shall bow...” to Him as Lord but today He stands at the door and knocks.

He does not beat it down.

He invites our surrender.

We are all offered the wonderful gift of salvation.

            Sadly, some refuse Him as Savior.

Others readily accept the gift of salvation but are unwilling to let Him lead their lives.

A half surrender is no surrender at all.

We are all given the choice.

You know Him as savior.

Do you also know Him as Lord?

 

 

 

A Tree Loaded with Provision

 Note: I had taken some time away from the blog but with this posting am returning. While I cannot guarantee there will be a new post every day I do hope that when they are posted they prove to bless, encourage and challenge you in your walk with the Lord - Stephen 

“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin.

Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!”

Luke 12:27-28

 

As I sit at my laptop writing this post I can look out my window to a beautiful and bountiful Mountain Ash tree.

Yes, with the late September days it is beginning to lose its’ leaves but that reveals how laden the branches are with berries.

Berries that will be provision over the cold winter months of Western New York for those bids that do not migrate south.  

What a wonderful reminder that is that even in the coldest, and darkest seasons of our lives God provides for our needs.

He reminds us through the simplest things sometimes that He is faithful always.

I am grateful for that reminder.

How about you?

Sure, it is much easier to focus on lack or fear of lack but how about instead we turn our attention to the goodness and faithfulness of our God.

Take some time today to recall the goodness and the blessing of God in times past in your life and trust Him for the future.

He does not change.

He was faithful then, He is faithful now and He will be faithful in the days ahead; 

no matter what they hold!

 

 

 

We Remember

 

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

John 15:13

May you take a few moments today to remember and honor those wo made the ultimate sacrifice so that you can enjoy your freedom and liberty today.

Whether you are a citizen of the United States or of another country know that freedom is not free.

Memorial Day is a day to call to mind the sacrifice of others made for you and me.

Poured Out

 

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down,

shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.

For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Luke 6:38 

  

Here is a bit of an ironic statement to consider…

As you pour into others, you will find yourself being filled up.

Now, on the surface that statement seems untrue.

After all if I empty myself in serving others how can I be filled up?

Do you want to know the secret?

It is by not taking a willy-nilly, shotgun approach in serving others.

We are to serve by following the promptings and leadings of the Holy Spirit.

I suppose some history book somewhere can tell me what the population of the earth was when Jesus walked on it; but you probably could agree that He personally ministered to a small percentage of that population. 

And we certainly cannot argue over the impact He had on those He ministered to!

You and I may not be able to personally minister to the billions on planet Earth today.

But I can and should minister to those the Holy Spirit causes to cross my path.

As I do, I find myself almost simultaneously being emptied and being filled.

As you and I obediently and faithfully pour out to others God abundantly and lavishly pours back into us.

The comfort you gave another today is returned to you as joy.

Perhaps the wisdom you shared with a confused individual so desperate to hear from God comes back to you in the form of an answer you have been waiting on God for.

Maybe you poured yourself into someone else today just by offering a listening ear and discovered patience extended to you from your boss the likes of which you had never seen before from him.

You simply cannot out give God.

He overtakes you with blessings beyond your greatest expectations.

Have you been feeling a bit empty lately?

Maybe it’s time to begin pouring into others!

Infinitesimally Small or a Deep Chasm – God is on the Other Side

 

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:35-39

Can I ask a huge favor of you?

Really, are you sure?

O.K., here it is –

Please go back and read the verses above again.

I know we have all read them perhaps dozens or more times but let it really sink in.

The Bible is rife with the stories of men and women who faced great challenges and either stayed close to God through them (Hannah comes to mind) or returned to God after a season of anger or rebellion (I think of David)

Some of the struggles recorded were heartbreaking: barrenness, betrayal or the loss of a child.

God knows are anguish but He also is with us in every moment, through every tear and even every raised fist to him.

Many today tell of leaving the church because of something quite small by comparison.

They were upset with this or that but in the end it really was not a significant reason.

Sadly, more often than not they not only leave a church, they leave the church.  

But even in this please understand that the love of God chases after you,

calling you back to a place of fellowship with Him and with His family.

If you find yourself in a place like that please know that God’s love will not forsake you.

Return to Him and let Him heal the wounds that have been inflicted.

They may be self-inflicted or caused by others.

Don’t allow those wounds to make you draw back.

He is waiting....