Ready, Steady, GrowSample

Blessing

What goes in, must come out.

There are rewards for our Christian journey of faith, the Bible is clear on this. If we believe that God is good - and He is - then we also know that He will reward our faithful obedience. The Bible speaks of a place called Heaven where there will be no pain, suffering, and death. A place where we will worship God forever, and His glory will give light to all. (Revelation 21:4, 22:1-5). Sounds amazing, doesn’t it? This is the destination for our journey, the final stop. The knowledge that we will continue to exist with our Creator in Heaven when our lives on earth end is a constant source of hope and encouragement for believers. But we do not have to wait for Heaven to enjoy God’s blessings; we are blessed even on the journey there. We know that life has its challenges, but walking with God also comes with great rewards on earth.

The Bible speaks of peace that passes all understanding, joy, healing, building of character, access to power through the Holy Spirit, growth, and material prosperity. However, the most important reward is God Himself. Jesus calls us to seek the things of God first and all other things come after (Mathew 6:33). This implies that knowing God is the most important aspect of our faith, and the spiritual, emotional, and material rewards come as a result of knowing Him. Christian faith is as much a journey as it is a relationship with God, and, like every relationship, it requires commitment, time, effort and sacrifice.

When we put in the work, we get to know God and experience Him on a truly intimate level. Think of some of your closest friends, how spending time with them can leave you feeling refreshed and valued. Now, imagine intimacy with the Creator of the universe - it is truly life changing.

One of the great examples of faith in the Bible is Abraham. In Genesis 12, God calls Abraham out of his family, home land, and everything he is familiar with and promises to take him to a foreign land. Abraham had no idea where he was going, but he chose to trust God and believe that God would keep His promises. On this journey, he went through challenges; he was separated once more from his family and tested to the point of almost sacrificing his son! But the Bible says he believed God, and God called him righteous because of his faith.

Abraham also received material blessings from God for his obedience. He was blessed with a son at an age where it is humanly impossible. He was wealthy and powerful enough to conquer an army, and, thousands of years later, we believe that we are descendants of Abraham through faith. Yet, the most important reward Abraham ever received was his relationship with God. We know he was not perfect, but what makes him stand out is his unwavering trust in God. In fact, Abraham remains the only man in the Bible God refers to as a friend (Isaiah 41:8).

Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is an invitation to intimacy and friendship with God. It is an invitation which is extended to all. Accept the invitation, come close to God, and He will come close to you (James 4:8). He is a good God, and when we put Him first, He takes care of everything we need.