Encouragement
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Psalms 103:2 Bless, Lord, my soul, and do not forget all his rewards,
As servants we face many trials and circumstances and at times we lose sight of God as a rewarder and begin to see Him as a hard boss. It has been my experience that no matter what we are going through if we are faithfully serving the Lord he will restore or replace everything we consider a loss. Some like the Apostle Paul learned that no matter what, to worship and follow the Lord because He is good and always rewards those who serve Him. We must always recognize that God is a rewarder it is his very nature to do more for His children than they can even hope or imagine
Genesis 15:3 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."
reward: a thing given in recognition of one's service, effort, or achievement.
shield: a broad piece of metal or another suitable material, fastened to one by straps or a handle attached on one side, used as a protection against blows or missiles.
I have attended many Bible studies in which the many names of God were studied such as Jehovah-Jireh and Jehovah-Nissi. A name is the beginning of a relationship. God was bringing Abraham to a deeper level of knowing Him. He revealed himself in this passage as “I am” going past the name and into what makes God well, God. As the theologians say his very substance.
He called himself a shield and a great reward. The unusual thing about what God mentioned is both of these descriptions are participatory. The very definition of a shield is to have a handle it will not protect unless it is held, a shield is not a fortress, A reward is not a gift, with a gift no action or achievement is needed to receive it. A reward can only be earned.
Not to be misunderstood one of God’s names is strong tower and one of his roles is gift giver. But he required Abraham and us today to be a participant in the process that will reap benefits for us. His very substance calls for us to unify ourselves (cling) to Him.
Without holding the shield with the power of faith in Him we will not be protected from the enemy’s weapons. Without serving him we will have no great reward.
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
We all know that as Christians we must believe that God exists if we fail in that Mustard Seed of faith required our whole salvation begins to crumble. But another requirement is that we believe that his very substance is to reward to those who serve Him.
Matthew 25:15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.
We know that all 3 of these servants were given a reward. The very nature of the action tells us that.They were servants not children. Children are given gifts servants received duties and are rewarded.
The master gave his servants gold. By giving different amounts it is obvious that the servants had achieved different levels of success in there service. The master sewed the talents like a seed into the servants. He expected to return and see an increase like a harvest from that seed.
The servant that received only one talent did not plant what he was given. When the master returned he dug up his reward and came and watched his fellow servants present the increase and receive whole cities and authority and massive rewards. When it came his turn to talk to the master what did he say?
Matthew 25:24 "Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' "But the master replied, 'You wicked and lazy servant!
God called the man lazy. That is obvious he was a spiritual bum. But how was he wicked? God sent him out to be eternally tormented. How was he deserving of torment? He was wicked because he was a liar and he had forgot his master’s goodness.
1. He said that the master was not one to sew seeds yet he had the master’s seed in His hand.
2. He said the master was not one throw out seeds to others that he kept the seed to himself. Yet he had witnessed the master handing out bags of Gold to himself and others.
3. He said that the master was a hard man and unfair gathering and harvesting without helping. Yet how unfair could he of been he had just witnessed the master handing out cities to the servants who had done his will. Cities are worth more than a few bags of Gold. How hard could he of been providing the seed and giving his servants a reward greater than the entire harvest.
The servant had allowed himself to be lied to about God’s goodness, even though he was a witness to all of what the master had done just a short time before. He had accepted the same lie that the serpent told Eve in the garden. He told Eve that God did not want to give them good things,He told Eve that the tree of knowledge was a reward that God was harvesting for himself and did not want to share it with them.
Instead of serving the master he began to spread lies about the nature of the master, doing worse than Eve ever did. The wicked servant began doing the serpent’s job.
If you have been discouraged lately and have begun to see God as a hard boss. I would encourage you to remember that although He is our Lord and is our authority, those are His roles but His substance is protector & rewarded. He never allows service to go unrewarded.During hard times it becomes easy to lose sight of this.
These rewards are not limited to heavenly future rewards only. He will at His command give us earthly rewards as well. Remember that all authority on heaven and on earth was given to Christ. If we are qualified in standing & service these rewards really do not have a limit. I am not a prosperity preacher or teacher but any Christian will give testimony of how God has supplied. Pleasing husbands and wives, good paying jobs, successful businesses, nice homes and cars, healing from sicknesses and bills that were impossible to be paid were paid in full.
These types of rewards are commonplace amongst Christian servants. Every church has multiple of these stories (testimonies) of how people who have worked hard for God have been rewarded by God.
If you are in a place of serving God and have lost sight of Him as a rewarder I suggest that you write down the good things that He has done for you in the past. As you begin to write them I am sure your pen will begin to flow a river of past victories. If that is not enough then seek a mature Christian servant and ask his about how God has rewarded him now and in the past.
Hopefully as we advance the importance of these earthly rewards begins to shrink. As we mature in Christ we begin to seek heavenly rewards. At the end of his ministry Paul was willing to sacrifice earthly rewards for the advancement of His Heavenly kingdom.
Hebrews 11:33-35 (part) Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again
Revelation 22:15 "Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.
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