GOD IS A REWARDER
“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Revelation 22:12
God is righteous and just, and He is a rewarder of those who love and faithfully serve Him. As our text says, when Jesus returns, His reward will be with Him. The coming of Christ will bring great reward for His faithful servants. It is God’s nature to reward and bless His children. We should never be in doubt as to this attribute of our Lord.
It is not vain to serve the Lord, and our obedience to Him will not go unnoticed. Referring to our obedience to God’s commands, Psalm 19:11 says, “in keeping of them there is great reward.” We know of those who have questioned the wisdom of life-long service to Christ, but let there be no doubt that the perfect Judge of the universe will aptly reward those who are deserving. Even Peter once asked the Lord very directly about how he might be rewarded for giving so much to the cause of Christ. Jesus responded by saying that every one who has followed Him and has sacrificed to do so, will be rewarded in this life as well as the life to come.
We do not serve the Lord solely for the rewards He has promised. We serve Him because we love Him. We live for Him because He gave His life for us. We follow Him and obey Him because it is the wisest thing we can do with our lives. If there were no rewards we would want to serve Him, but let us be certain of this fact: He will righteously reward the godly. It has been our privilege to know many who have cast their all into this great cause of living for Jesus. Be assured, dear brethren, that He will properly and abundantly reward them in this life as well as in the next.
God’s rewards are not always obvious, but they are certain and they are just. He blesses us with a clear conscience, genuine friends and fellowship, and many victories along the way. He daily loads us with benefits. There is no greater satisfaction and peace than in knowing we are in His will and serving His purpose. But the final and ultimate reward will wait until we take up residence in our eternal home. When we see Him, His reward will be with Him. The words of the familiar song are true, “It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus.” May God strengthen us for the journey and find us faithful until the end. Revelation 2:10, “be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”