9/8/2013

- Matthew 6:5

There are few words in the English language as captivating as the word REWARD. Many of us can remember seeing reward posters stuck on the wall at our local post office. Did you ever look at one of those notices and think, “Wow, that is a lot of money” and dream about what you could do with it? Rewards have been used as motivational tools for a long time. They fueled the fire of a dogged breed of men called bounty hunters in the old west. Even today, reward cards and reward points act like gigantic magnets pulling us in to the same grocery store and other merchants regularly. Rewards work in the world of marketing and they also work in the spiritual domain.

God knew about the power of rewards long before the wild west or Ralph’s. He created man with a built in attraction to rewards. He wants us to want Him and the rewards He promises. But our adversary, the devil, also knows about rewards and he is very adept at using his “reward plan” to draw people into his camp. Basically, his plan is this: “Get your reward here and now.” That sounds almost too good to be true. It is. Thankfully, Jesus tells us what Satan conveniently omitted. Anyone who enrolls in the devil’s reward plan will “have no reward with your Father who is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:1). Is this a good exchange? Your answer depends upon your understanding of the nature of the reward.

Many people think of a heavenly reward in terms of golden streets and pearly gates. Is that the best God has to offer? If so, that’s not much better than the accolades and honor heaped on us by our contemporaries. Gold and pearls are as mundane as att’a boys and wall plaques. The most compelling promise connected with our Father’s reward is HIM! The realization of being with the Lord was a powerful force in Paul’s life (Philippians 1:23).

Think about it! If we are where God is, we will be dwelling in the domain of love forever—God is love (1 John 4:8). Would you rather spend eternity in the presence of incomparable love or in a place devoid of love? Isn’t the thought of a place without God and divine love even more terrifying than all that fire and brimstone and outer darkness stuff?

God has given us a clear picture of our options and both are connected to a reward. But remember, rewards are not only appealing they are also dangerous. We can get so wrapped up in the rewards of this world that we loose sight of the only reward that really matters—heaven. There is nothing this world has to offer that can even begin to compare with the Father’s reward. Don’t let the temporal rewards of vanity rob you of the eternal blessings of God’s love. Listen to the Lord. Choose His reward plan.  KD