Rewards

    Since it is Saturday night and we are looking forward to worship in the morning, I was thinkning about what a blessing I receive by attending Bible class and worship on Sundays.  I love being with my Christian family, studying God's work and worshipping in Spirit and in Truth.  That in and of itself is a reward.  But if we live a faithful Christian life - we will recieve an even more wonderful reward --actually it will be greatest reward any of us could hope to obtain!  Of course, I am talking about heaven.  Heaven WILL surely be worth it all.
     Who does God reward?  The answer is found in His scriptures.  "But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for the cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."  (Hebrews 11:6)   From this verse we learn that to please God - we must have fiath and believe that He is.  Well, I certainly believe that He IS.  Remember He told Moses - I AM THAT I AM.  God is --He is often referred to as the "living God" and as the "God of the living."  The God of the living not only refers to the those who are physically alive but also indicates that those who have gone on before - are alive in Him.  .....Ah but I see, I am drifting away from my topic here, so let's get back on track.  It is pretty easy to understand that to please our God - we must believe that He is alive. 
      Hebrews 11:6 doesn't stop there, though.  We have to have faith - to believe in the existence of God.  OK - so I believe.  I have pleased God, right?  Am I done now?  Well, the verse doesn't stop there.  The Hebrew writer goes on to say that we must  not only believe that He exists, but that He is a rewarder of them---who?  of them that diligently seek Him.  We must seek God -- we must diligently seek Him.  Matthew 6:33 says "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you."
      So what do we do to seek God so that we can be rewarded of Him?  We seek God through Bible study.  II Timothy 2:15 tells us to "study to show thyself approved."  We seek God through prayer --for that is when we truly commune with our Heavenly Father.  And... we seek God by living our lives for Him daily.  Consider the judgement scene described by Christ Himself in Matthew 25.  The reward went to those who had fed the hungry, given drink to those who were thirsty. Christ allows entry into heaven to those who had taken strangers in, helped clothe those who needed it and visited the sick and those in prison.  So does that mean we diligently seek God by serving others - by serving people whom He created and whom He also wants to be saved????  I think so, don't you?  There are  other verses about seeking and pleasing God.  These scriptures are worthy of our study as well, for it is important to remember who it is that God will reward.
     Consider Colossians 3:23 and 24 - "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.   (sound familiar? -  think Matthew 25)  To please God - to come to Him - we must believe in Him and diligently seek Him --and that is accomplished through service to the Lord Christ.

I love studying the Bible, don't you?

Christ above all things,
Robin