Walk of Life – Day 13 – February 2020 – Thoughts from the Book of Proverbs – Blessed!
THE BLESSING OF REWARD
Prov 13:13 Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.
It was the 1924 Olympics. Eric Lidell was to represent Great Britain in the 100 m dash. But the race was on Sunday. He outrightly refused. The authorities were very upset with Lidell. However, for him, nothing was more important than giving the Lord the preeminence on the Lord’s day. He was not trained for 400 m race but when he began the race, a co-runner gave a paper in his hand that read “Him that honoreth me I will honor” Lidell ran and not only won the race but created a new world record. When you obey the Lord’s word and commandment, He is no debtor of persons, He will abundantly reward. Eric Lidell, later went on to be a missionary in China and proclaimed the Gospel.
A very close friend was asked to sing at an inter-college culturals. She had determined in her heart that come what may, she would only sing for the Lord Jesus. She told the Lord, I will only sing a Christian song, but I do not want to hear anyone making fun or booing me while I sing. She sang and there was pin-drop silence. To everyone’s astonishment, she won the first prize. Today we compromise on many things. We say oh that’s ok everyone sings secular songs. It is one thing to sing for Jesus and another thing to sing for Jesus alone. Any talent that the Lord has given you, are you using it for the world or for glorifying the Lord Jesus? The reward is sure if you fear the commandments of the Lord and obey Him wholeheartedly.
I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. Psalm 37:25
Living a just life, standing for the truth, maintaining one’s integrity always, not compromising with the world will definitely give you a great reward. If not here, in the world to come. Never go with the stride if it is against the Word of God. Today many things that we were told is wrong has become right and acceptable. What has changed? God’s Word is the same forever. A generation has changed and mindsets have changed but this liberalistic outlook helps no one. There is no alternative to hard work, no alternative to implicit obedience to God’s Word and surely no alternative to being a just righteous, blameless person before God and man. Remember the Lord is not just watching over you, He is watching your every move.
A dear elderly saint was near death and gave her pastor a strange request: “When my casket is opened at the funeral, and all my friends come by for a last look, I want them to see me ready to be buried with a table fork in my right hand.”
She explained to her puzzled pastor, “I want you to tell the congregation, you know what it means when they clear the dishes from a big meal and someone says, ‘Keep your fork.’ You know that something good is coming—maybe a piece of apple pie or chocolate cake. ‘Keep your fork’ means something good is coming. Pastor, I want to be buried with a dessert fork in my hand. It will be my way of saying, ‘The best is yet to come.’”
And so it was. Everyone who saw her body in the casket saw her final witness. For her, death and judgment were not a disaster, but dessert. She was awaiting the reward from her heavenly father.
How can that be true for you and me, when we stand before God in judgment one day?
Will the Lord give us a beautiful eternal reward or will we stand there empty handed wondering what to say to the Master.
