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Available Rewards
So far, we have covered these topics: our example, the essentials of listening and speaking, work motives, seed sowing, approval, and gaining favor. Having climbed these first six rungs on our ladder, we now move up to the next. On this rung, we look at the rewards that are given to faithful servants, those having favor in the workplace.
Before we go on, it seems proper to point out another needed truth. Again, this truth has to do with giving. You may tire of hearing about giving, but giving and love are inseparable. They are both of the same Spirit. They work for the good of others. Therefore, we need to fully understand the relationship between the two.
The Lord does not give love; the Lord is love. The Lord gives Himself. Inaccurately, we say "The Lord gave me love." For the Lord to give love, it would have to be outside of His being. The gift would have to be something other than Himself. The Lord is the gift of love. Consider these possibilities. Do you give gifts to someone, or do you give yourself for someone?
I need your alert attention. True giving is a state of being, not an action. The act of giving does not express or verify the state of love that supports the gift. Companies give gifts to a varieties of causes. Is love in their giving? True love is itself. Love brings forth giving. As God's wrath comes from His Holiness, so giving comes from His love.
"Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction." Habakkuk 1:12
The Lord is Himself; He never tries to be God; the Lord is God. God, The Holy One, is His state of being. No one is equal to Him. He is glorious. His heart is giving. Therefore, He and giving are one. From Himself, the Lord gave His Son.
"When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men." Proverbs 8:29-31
Friend, when you give, do it from within yourself. Give in the being of Christ. Your giving should be for nothing else except that it is an extension of your love.
True love neither expects nor looks for anything in return. A servant gives to his lord out of the joy of his heart. A disciple gives the love in his soul to his master. He gives only to bring pleasure to his master and to his lord. He does not give to impress anyone, not even himself.
When a true servant of Christ gives, none will know except the Lord. When you give the correct way and in the right spirit, the Lord has given His word to reward you openly. Any other kind of giving is foolish and contrary to God's word. Under such circumstances, the gift is vain. Your reward, therefore, is vanity.
"Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward." Matthew 6:2
You should ponder this question. If your right hand knows what your left hand gives, did you give God's way? Both hands are parts of the same body. The right hand and the left hand receive direction from the same mind. How can your hand give so that your mind is unaware of the giving (Matthew 6:3)? When you tally or keep books on your giving, did you give in secret?
Giving is a state of being. Giving is a welling spring that pours forth from the believer's soul. David knew about this kind of giving, and it was given back to him many times over.
"Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever." Psalms 23:6
Contrary to prevalent thinking, our worst enemy is not Satan. Satan only imitates the creativeness of God. Satan does only as Christ allows. Satan is bound by God's Word. Satan is judged.
Our worst enemy is self. Self conducts his life in ignorance, as he thinks he is right. Afterwards, self wonders why he received displeasing rewards. Self is dishonest and, by deception, justifies his deceit. Self has no place. He dwells either with Satan or Christ. One is a winner; one is a looser. No place was created for a spectator in God's plan. Nevertheless, Jesus knows the extent of men's hearts. But then, He bought those hearts. If men were good, why was Jesus nailed to the Cross?
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." Jeremiah 17:9-10
Our deeds, simple acts of our hearts, determine our rewards. Throwing rewards to the wind as chaff is a saddening deed, particularly, when people give for many years and never understand why their rewards were nothing. To their shame, they listened to man tell them to give. Why did man not tell them how to give? Both the speaker and hearer have their just rewards.
To have positive rewards, you must do what our Father said and do it His way. If you follow His word, you will have His reward. It will be open for all to see. Friend, give in secret so that your giving is known only to our Lord. He remains faithful to His word, and He will reward you accordingly.
Now, read the following scriptures. See how God said to give. Notice how He said to pray and even to fast. We must follow the same pattern on all three of these for there to be any desirable rewards. Notice the commitment He made to those who live His teachings.
"But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. And when thou prayest. Thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward." Matthew 6:3-5
"Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward." Matthew 6:16
I wanted you to see and understand something important about receiving rewards from our Lord. The scriptures you just read told you that the Lord would reward you if you did as He commanded. The scriptures did not tell you what material gain to expect. You can have thoughts of what the bonus will be, but our Lord has all wisdom, not us. Have you ever thought of out maneuvering God? You will not succeed. He said He would reward you openly; accept him at His word.
"If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me." Deuteronomy 32:41
"Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him." Isaiah 40:10
"And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." Revelation 15:3
Do you remember when Jesus and His disciples were watching the crowd give their tithe in the Temple? In the procession, one particular woman stood out. She only gave two mites. Mites are small copper coins. Today, they would be comparable to pennies. The point was the same then as now. Jesus told His disciples that she had given her all. Can you imagine someone dropping two pennies on a silver offering-plate? Even more difficult to visualize is someone hearing them drop and shouting, "That person gave his all!"
The value of tangibles are not pleasing to our Lord; all creation is His. The openness of a giver's heart pleases Him. It was not the amount of money the woman gave; instead, it was how she gave. That woman's heart was right before God, and Christ made it well known to His disciples and to the world.
The Lord rewarded her openly. What was her reward? Her reward was honor before men. The event of the woman is in the Bible for all to read and, thereby, learn. Her way of giving stands recorded through eternity. Now that is a reward.
"And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in that she had, even all her living." Mark 12:41-44
The Lord will reward you with what He knows is best for you. He knows the future and motivates you to shape the future for His pleasure. Stop trying to be the master. Change your heart; be His servant and serve. Give the right way. Then trust Jesus Christ to do right. If you will not, who has become a god?
How do you learn to give correctly? If needed, here is a good place for you to start. It is simple, and it expresses a servant's heart. Memorize the following scripture, and then apply it to everything you do in your life.
"And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain." Matthew 5:41
The Bible states that if all the works of Jesus were in books, the world could not hold them. What I am telling you is this, Jesus Christ has always given. He will never stop giving. He will continue to reward His servants. Also, His servants are not the only ones blessed. Others receive blessings from the crumbs of His servants' tables. He blesses the whole world through the seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ.
It would be impossible in these pages to show all the different rewards the Lord has for us. Therefore, I can only explain a limited number that are available to us. I hope you will ponder on these rewards and realize there are many others. All that belongs to Christ is ours.
The outstanding reward, given by Christ, is wisdom. Today, most people think that wisdom has no monetary value. Wisdom, however, is the greatest reward available. With wisdom, we find other rewards and add them to the foundation that we are building in Christ. You do still remember our Lord's definition of wisdom?
"And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." Job 28:28
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever." Psalms 111:10
When you have favor with our Lord, you willingly receive His commandments. Anyone can read His commandments. Understanding them, however, comes only through His Spirit. Our Lord quickens His word to us. He makes it alive and powerful in our lives.
With the knowledge of His commandments, doing His will becomes the goal of our lives. Then, we can gain favor with God and man. His law will keep us on the right path. His law will prevent us from coming face to face with an untimely catastrophe. If we obey His law, it will add days to our lives and innumerable blessings.
"My son forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee." Proverbs 3:1-2
Are you wondering how God's rewards will prosper you in the workplace? If you are, you need to ponder this chapter for a while. His rewards allow us to grow as servants in Christ. With such growth; knowledge, understanding, and humility come to us. The Kingdom of Heaven profits as we grow. We grow first in spirit and then in bank-account. His rewards are precious and easily marketable even in today's workplace. The living of these precious rewards are testimony to the work of God Almighty. As He promised, He will reward His servants openly. Do you believe Him?
"After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward." Genesis 15:1
"The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward." Psalms 19:8-11
I went out on a branch. Now, we will get back to the subject at hand. We are looking at available rewards from God. When you receive these blessed rewards, you step into the category of faithful in our Lord's eyes. This occurs when you do the commandments of the Lord. When you love the Lord, you will do His commandments.
Caution, as you walk with God, there will be times when you will spiritually fall flat on your face. As you were told earlier in this book, you are going to have trouble in life; yet, no need for despair. The Lord will catch you when you fall. Never make the mistake of thinking it will not happen to you. Remember, pride goes before a fall.
No matter what happens in your life, you have no reason to beg from either God or man. The Lord upholds His seed according to His word. He will clear the way for your every step. He will make each of your steps sure, while providing for your next step.
"The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." Psalms 37:23-25
The Lord is merciful because He knows we are dust even when we forget. Therefore, our spiritual rewards remain intact, despite our blunders. Not as our bank accounts that diminish because of our mishandling, our rewards escalate in spite of our stumbles. When the Lord gives a gift, He does not recall it. He gave Jesus Christ and all He has. Our Father will not repent.
Favor reaps a pleasant reward, the reward of mercy. Here then is a dilemma. Does favor come because of mercy, or does mercy come because of favor? Whichever, I know the gifts are of God and to be received with joy.
Mercy is given from both God and man to the ones willing to give mercy. Jesus said that for a man to receive mercy, he would have to show mercy. When a man shows forth the spirit of mercy, others show the same spirit back to the man. The man sowing mercy also reaps mercy. We all need mercy; we cannot live without it; although, many try. The Lord is our example. He is mercy.
"O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever." I Chronicles 16:34
"The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous showeth mercy, and giveth." Psalms 37:21
None among us stand perfect; all our works are imperfect. Acknowledging God's mercy causes our thoughts to become joyous and delightful when we realize the Lord is not against us. He never was. Until a person knows Jesus Christ, he cannot begin to understand the extent of God's given mercy.
Another reward is truth. It also is given at salvation. We are to hold it with clenched fists. Truth tends to flee our minds when we are in the straits, between a rock and a hard place. In our speech, we say just enough to sway others to the way we would have them to think; we imply truth. There could be truth in one's words, but his words might fall short of the truth. An unspoken lie is still a lie. Jesus searches the intent of the heart.
A truthful person has high esteem and honor, yet at times in the workplace, no one wants to here truth. They would rather here a white lie because it better suits their selfish direction, goal, and position. In such cases, the truthful person finds himself in the straits. The time of decision comes at that point. When the Lord gives the gift of truth to a favored person, the person can stand with confidence, authority and power. He knows in whom he trusts.
How can a man see unless God opens his eyes? A blind man can feel the leaf of a tree. In doing so, can he perceive its color? The brilliance of God's work is shown to those who have open eyes and seeking hearts.
"For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." Matthew 13:15
"Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man." Proverbs 3:3-4
A favored person has a new tongue with which he speaks, and he receives what he has spoken. When he speaks good things, he receives good things. This action is contrary to the speech of an unfavored person. The unfavored person speaks evil. He receives evil for his words. What comes forth from our mouths will either curse us or bless us in return. The mouth reveals a person's heart. Each person will have the fruit of his mouth. This same principle also applies to the quantity and quality of the person's work. If you sow good work, you will reap good reward. If you sow bad work, you will reap bad reward.
"A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth: and the recompense of a man's hands shall be rendered unto him." Proverbs 12:14
"A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence." Proverbs 13:2
Do you understand the word diligent? These five synonyms will help you to understand: hard-working, industrious, unfailing, tireless, or simply put, will-not-quit. The Lord gives diligence as one of His rewards. He creates a desire in our hearts "to do." This desire is the driving force within a favored person. With diligence, one can gain rule, or to put it in modern terms, he has the potential of excelling in the workplace. Diligence does not have a one-time use and then be discarded. It is the same as with other gifts; it is a way of life. Whatever you do for man, do it with your whole heart as though it were for our Lord. Men will notice. God will openly bless you.
"The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute." Proverbs 12:24
Elieser, the senior servant of Abraham, had authority over Abraham's possessions. Elieser is shown in the Bible as a picture of the faithful servant. Open your Bible to Genesis and read about these events. You will discover these men depicted as types: Abraham as God the Father; his son, Isaac, as Jesus Christ; and Elieser, Abraham's servant, as the Holy Spirit.
Elieser ruled over Abraham's property. Can you picture a ruling servant? Do the words seem contradictory? The word rule means to control or oversee. It also carries the responsibility of judging. When we have the Lord's Spirit, we have Him as Comforter. We, through Christ, sit in the Lord's seat and rule with Him. The Lord's servant has authority and power. Because of this, he executes the office with compassion. Submissiveness brings authority and power to a favored person.
Notice, when Elieser spoke to Rebekah, he only told her about the glory of Abraham and Isaac. He did not tell of himself. Elieser acted the same as the Holy Spirit because He confesses only the Father and the Son.
"And he said, I am Abraham's servant. And the LORD hath blessed him greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses." Genesis 24:34-35
Another of God's rewards is hate. Do you find that a strange statement? I am not talking about man's hate, but God's Holy hate of evil. God is love, and He is hate. You need to learn the differences and the similarities of these two as you walk in the Lord's path. The hate of evil causes you to be a candidate for leadership at work and other places. The Lord raises up those hating evil to bear witness of Christ and His ways. Walk in the path of the Lord. Have His rewards known to men. These rewards lead to untold treasures in your heart and in your hands.
Walk the straight path, and walk it circumspectly, being careful to consider all circumstances. Seek our Lord's ways first and foremost in your life. Although opposition may turn your head, the Lord will take care of the trouble and deliver you through it.
"And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth." Exodus 23:13
"See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise," Ephesians 5:15
"The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength. By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgement: That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures." Proverbs 8:13-21
Grace is another of God's rewards. We receive it when Jesus saves us. To measure grace, we need a larger scales than the one used to measure mercy. Grace begins at salvation and goes beyond as we become more aware of it. Grace is a gift that keeps giving. We need grace throughout our days. Do you remember how to give gifts that keep giving? Are you conscious of our Father's gifts?
"For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." Psalms 84:11
"According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon." I Corinthians 3:10
"But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." James 4:6
In the next scripture, you will see that each of us get our just rewards. We cannot get around this basic principle. It keeps coming up again and again. The Lord established it, and it stands. When we work part time, we receive part time. When we work regularly, we receive regularly. Learn to be diligent, sow bountifully, give much, and see His grace expand around you. It will expand so that you cannot keep from sharing it with others. Learn to work with your talents. Multiply them to the glory of our Lord.
"But this I say, He that soweth sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increases the fruits of your righteousness;)" II Corinthians 9:6-10
Have you ever seen God's glory in someone's face? Have you heard anyone deny they saw it? When given wisdom, it shows in your face. It is a testimony for others to see. It is a gift that is given openly. You have seen this in people. Their faces seemed to glow, while they speak the truth of God. This promise is of our Lord. He causes it to be a sign of His works. Man might not understand the Lord rewarding you openly for your service, but they will wonder at what they see.
Do you recall Stephen and how his face glowed as an angel's when he spoke to the council? His face was a living testimony to the Word of God and His truth. Saul of Tarsus, later renamed Paul, remembered the glory in Stephen's face. I think it was a key element in causing Paul to search for the truth of Christ. He keep remembering the difference he saw in Stephen.
"Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed." Ecclesiastes 8:1
"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." II Corinthians 4:6
Talk about a reward for service and it shown to men. Look at what they said about Moses. When a person spends time with our Lord, he has no need to tell of it. The glory is visible in his face. This scripture is confirmation of what God will do as a reward for his faithful servants.
"And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that his skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him." Exodus 34:28-30
Enoch had more than glory in his face. His whole body transfigured in an instant. Enoch walked with God. While doing so, God translated him for service. How about that for a reward?
Enoch knew the requirements of God. Look at them as you read this next scripture, concerning what pleases God. Two things are necessary: faith and diligence. The same applies to gaining favor in the work environment. You must expect reward, for if you do not, you will not see a reward. Expecting is a spirit. It is an attitude. Enoch's attitude was right before God, and God confirmed it.
Caution, when Enoch walked with God, the Lord gave Enoch the desire of his heart. The Lord placed the desire in Enoch's heart. When a man walks with God, all he sees is God; all he hears is God; all he thinks is God. Christ's glory, the reward, consumes the servant.
"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him." Hebrews 11:5-6
"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Psalms 37:4
Knowledge is another reward. The reward is knowledge of His word. The Lord opens His word to His servants so that they can understand and share it with others. Without the Light of His word, you will not be able to do His commandments. Only through our Lord can we walk the path of Christ. Favor with God leads one to find the understanding of what God has said and how to do it.
"Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you." Proverbs 1:23
"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw." Revelation 1:1-2
"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." I Corinthians 12:7-11
Do you want to have your barns full and your wine presses burst with new wine? Most people would. Remember, God's word is eternal, and it has deep meanings. Nevertheless, to have your heart's desire, give God your firstfruits. Give Him the best of your labor, wages, conduct, spirit, and love. You do this by honoring our Lord with all your substance. Your substance is the composite of your total being. That means giving Him your all. Is that simple?
"Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine." Proverbs 3:9-10
Moses was a man in God's eternal plan. God planned his service long before anyone knew him as God's man. Moses did the will of God and received rewards for it.
The Lord was bringing about His plan of Israel's salvation. In that plan, Moses only played a small part. As explained by the Apostle Paul, these events are to be examples for our learning.
Moses' Mother, Jochebed, faced a difficult decision at his birth. God blessed the womb of Israel, so in each generation, the number of Israelites doubled. In a short time, the Israelites were overrunning the lands of Egypt. Since Israel was in slavery, Pharaoh was afraid of their increasing numbers.
He became paranoid of the males because he thought they would form an army and rise-up against Egypt. To remedy his fears, Pharaoh charged all the Egyptians to cast every new-born male Hebrew into the Nile River. How could Jochebed hide her new-born baby? How would you conceal a crying child in close quarters?
Jochebed preferred to place her firstborn son in the hands of God instead of allowing Egyptians to throw her baby into the Nile River. We all know the sweet story of how Moses was found and grew up in Pharaoh's Court. He was even nursed and raised by his mother. We all know this story. What I want you to see is how the Lord worked in Moses during his life time.
God had a plan for Israel, and Moses was to lead in that plan. Had Moses been drown, God's plan would have failed in its beginning. God, however, saved and prepared Moses for His work. The Lord is God over all things.
The man had to have select qualifications. The Lord wanted a man whose parents were both Levites. By birth, the child was then a priest, God's foreknowledge and plan. By being the first born son, Moses would head his family. He had to be an educated man so that he could write the first five books of the Bible. He would have to be a stubborn and persistent man to deal with the stiffnecked Israelites. The list of requirements went on.
During his tender years, his mother swayed his upbringing and thoughts. She taught him about his Hebrew heritage. She told him about his miraculous life. She told him how he was saved from Pharaoh's decree.
Forty years went by while Moses lived in Pharaoh's Court. There, he received the best education the world could offer. In his mind, Moses had to think of himself as special, and perhaps, superior to anyone else.
Moses might have impressed himself, but God knew where Moses' strength and ways originated. Through a chain of events, Moses was driven from Egypt. He crossed the desert, and lived his second forty years in the wilderness. Moses was a slow learner; it took him forty years to graduate from the Sinai Biblical Seminary. Moses got a formal education in Pharaoh's Court. God, however, did not want Moses' education. The Lord wanted Moses. When Moses surrendered, the Lord had all Moses had to offer.
Moses graduated at Mount Horeb on the platform of the Burning Bush. High up on the mountain, he met Jesus Christ, I AM that I AM. There, the Lord got hold of Moses. To Moses' honor, He said that Moses was the meekest man on earth. If he was so meek, where did the stubbornness and anger go?
At the Bush, Moses was saying to God, "I can't." What happened to the education, the assertiveness, the boldness, and the dominance that he had learned in Pharaoh's house? It all vanished into thin air when Moses came to know the awesome sovereignty of GOD ALMIGHTY. God's glory His Son revealed the desolation and pitifulness of Moses, a clay vessel. Which one of us could hold our head above Moses' if we were in the presence of God?
Now..., Moses was listening instead of talking. In the presence of God, he was no longer special and words were inadequate to describe God's glory. It was here that Moses knew that he had found favor with God and man. It was here Moses was now eighty years old that he began reaping rewards. He reaped them during the last third of his life.
The Lord favors Jesus Christ above all others. Do you know what Jesus received for His labor in love? We need to know the rewards that Jesus received for His perfect service. Look at the next scriptures to see what the Lord has said about this. Let Christ's rewards be an inspiration, while we labor in our workplaces.
"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth: And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11
"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." Hebrews 1:1-4
"Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him." Hebrews 2:7-8
"His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God." Revelation 19:12-13
"And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald." Revelation 4:2-3
Now, we know about the rewards that God gives. It becomes our responsibility to use His rewards in a profitable manner. We must take these rewards or talents and do something with them to the glory of our Lord. Write on these lines what kind of rewards you have, and the ones you would like to have.
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The LORD Is GOD Even At Work
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