Where to find rewards for your faithfulness
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and
falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward
in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before
you.” - Matthew 5:11-12
In December of 1944, 18 members of a reconnaissance platoon held
off a battalion of German troops in the Belgian village of Lanzerath.
Their brave stand against the onslaught gave the Allied forces time to begin
mounting a defence that eventually won the famous Battle of the Bulge.
Will James, one of the 18 platoon members, was severely injured
in the battle and went through numerous surgeries as a result. His heroism went
mostly unrecognized for almost 40 years until 1981, when he was posthumously
awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism.
In life and in faith, heroism can go largely unrewarded for
years. Throughout the history of the church, there are countless faithful
saints who’ve been obedient, even to the point of death, whose stories aren’t
recorded anywhere on earth. But we know one place they’ll never be forgotten is
in eternity, where those who’ve been faithful to death will receive their
eternal rewards.
The point is this: your faithfulness may never be rewarded in
this world. But you can rest assured your faithfulness will be remembered
forever in eternity. So don’t look to the world to reward your faith. Await
your eternal reward in heaven, which will be far greater!
Prayer Challenge
Pray and ask God to keep you faithful even when it goes
unrecognized, knowing that your ultimate reward will be in heaven.
Questions for Thought
Why do you believe many of us want to see immediate rewards for
our faithfulness instead of waiting?
What is God teaching us when He makes us wait to receive our
rewards in heaven?