Store up Treasures

1 Corinthians 9:16-17, Matthew 16:27

"For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship."
NKJV

Rewards - we all love them. Whether it's a paycheck at the end of the week or a medal at the end of a race, we all enjoy receiving a reward for our efforts. Friend, did you know that the Bible tells us that we will receive rewards for the good we do here on earth? Salvation is free and comes when we trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. Once we accept Christ as Savior, the Bible speaks of God rewarding those who served Him while here on earth.

Matthew 16:27 "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works." NKJV

Imagine our Lord coming in all His glory and with Him rewards that will be given to those who served Him and helped build His Kingdom. Yes, we serve our King because He is worthy of our service. Yes, we show love to others because we love Him. Yet, we also serve Him in great expectation of the rewards He has prepared for us. So the question is, "will you receive rewards?" Are you serving the Lord and therefore storing up treasures in heaven? You have all eternity to enjoy your rewards but only a short lifetime to earn them. It's either rewards or regrets - you get to decide now.

Life Lesson: We should desire spiritual rewards.

Dear Father,
Thank You that You have made a way for me to be saved. I praise You for Your grace and mercy. Lord, I also thank You that after all that You have done for me You allow me to earn rewards in Your Kingdom. Father, fill me with Your Spirit and guide me by Your Word so that I will use every opportunity to share the Gospel and store up treasures in heaven. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say, Pastor David McGee   My Comments:  Every day is a reward to me. I look out my kitchen window and when the Mountain is out I praise God for the glory He has created. When the sun goes down I praise Him for the gift of the beautiful sunsets. Sometimes it is hard to know which is the prettiest, the sunrises or the sunsets. When I look at my children and Grandchildren and all children I know I have seen the greatest gift. The privilege to help raise one of God's children. When my husband was alive I knew I was blessed with the gift of the better part of me. Today I watched clouds floating past, grass waving in the breeze, airplanes circling the mountain  and thought of the miracle of my body living and know we have been given great gifts yet none of these compares to the treasures we will have in heaven when we go home to be with our Abba.   Here as we live, the greatest treasure is our salvation from the one who came to take our place on the Cross. Then we can joyfully work to store up treasures for when we go to join Him and all the saints who have gone before us. Yet do we want to go knowing we have not offered that same joyful gift to everyone we meet and know? I for one do not. I try to live my life as an example so those who do not know our Father and His Son can come to know Him through me. When He prompts me through His Holy Spirit to speak words of salvation to those I know or meet, I do so and leave the rest to the Lord. These are works that give life. There are other works that we can be about.   When we see someone in the cold who needs a meal, or hear a parent out of control with their child we can try to help them so they are more loving. If a neighbor needs help with weeding their garden or shoveling the snow from their driveway, if, if, if.... There is always a multitude of things we can help with, in our communities, homes, neighborhood, churches, and in the world. But first one needs to do the most important thing for their soul. They need to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. Abba, we thank You for our Salvation. Given freely. Given in Love. Given to all who would accept His sacrifice. The greatest gift You have given us is Your Son, Jesus. I praise You and glorify You my Lord and King for all You do for me, for the whole world, for Your greatest gift. Abba, help us to know what You want us to do to bring glory to Your Holy name and to bring others to You through the gift of Salvation. In Jesus Name, Amen.