Your Refreshing Daily Devotional

The image of God you hold will profoundly affect your overall disposition. At some point the children of Israel had a wrong image of God, and He protested to them accordingly. “Your words have been harsh against Me,” Says the Lord, Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God; what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked as mourners Before the Lord of hosts?’’ (Malachi 3:13-14 NKJV). It is harsh in the ears of God when we speak or even think that what we do for His sake has no reward. In our text, God settled it once and for all, that He is a God of rewards. Actually, God described Himself as Abram’s “exceedingly great reward”. What God said to Abram applies to all who serve and trust Him.

There is the earthly dimension of reward meant for here and now; and there is the incorruptible reward reserved for us in heaven…Reward does two things. First, it motivates towards greater performance. Second, it demonstrates that God is faithful.

In the context of New Testament writing, this will amount to God being called unrighteous. “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (Hebrews 6:10, NKJV). When we talk of reward, we should appreciate its dual nature. There is the earthly dimension of reward meant for here and now; and there is the incorruptible reward reserved for us in heaven. It is for this reason that the Bible says godliness is profitable for the present world and the one which is coming. Reward does two things. First, it motivates towards greater performance. Second, it demonstrates that God is faithful.

Mary Magdalene had the rare privilege of being the first person to see the risen Lord. As Jesus called her by name and she could recognize Him, she was ecstatic and about to hold on to Him. Jesus’ response is of particular importance to us: “Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ” John 20:17 NKJV. Right from before He went to the cross, Jesus taught His disciples to know that a new dynamic relationship had been introduced between God and those who believe in Him. He taught them to pray to “our Father in Heaven.” Here, after His resurrection, He told Mary that He needed to ascend to His Father who had now become Mary’s Father.

Believers are not just relating with Almighty God (and He is that), but we are dealing first and foremost with a Father…He has all needs covered.

Believers are not just relating with Almighty God (and He is that), but we are dealing first and foremost with a Father. We have been brought into the family of God. Just as members of a household are free to approach the father of the house, even so are all believers free to approach our Heavenly Father with all our needs. Unlike the earthly father, though, the Heavenly Father is unlimited and inexhaustible! Ephesians 3:20 says that God can do exceedingly abundantly above what we ask or think. His power in us makes all things superfluous. Whenever you approach God, see Him as your Father and as the possessor of the heaven and earth. He has all needs covered.

As in some other themes of the Bible, the subject of grace is grossly misunderstood. Not a few will define it as unmerited favour from God. The argument follows that since it is not what can be merited, no effort whatsoever is required from man’s end. I think Ruth the Moabite would argue otherwise. Since favour and grace are sometimes used interchangeably, our text could easily pass for a woman going in search of grace. This woman of Moab conveys wonderful truths on the subject of grace. She did not need to be prodded by anyone to go look for what to do. Even though she was a stranger and the terrain was totally new to her, she decided to go and try her luck somewhere. Here is the first lesson: the grace of God does not condone laziness. Had Ruth made no effort, she would probably not have met Boaz, and the sequence of things that followed may have eluded her as well.

When there is no diligent effort on our part, we end up frustrating the grace of God.

Many believers like to hide behind the expression that they are trusting in the grace of God. But grace cannot produce in a vacuum; there must be something it will latch unto. Paul understood the mix very well. “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (I Corinthians 15:10 NKJV). There has to be a balance between work and grace. There is a line found in Jesuit writings and sermons from the 17th century that can serve as a sweet counsel for us – “Pray as if everything depends on God, and work as if everything depends on you.” When there is no diligent effort on our part, we end up frustrating the grace of God.

Long before I could trace it to a verse of scriptures, I grew up hearing a proverb that some kind of words can fetch you gift while some others can draw out the sword against you. Later on as I progressed in the study of the Bible, I came across where God told the children of Israel that He would do to them as they had spoken. Before then they had recklessly said they preferred to die in the wilderness. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.” Even the words of Jesus will fit into the same frame – “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:37 NKJV. All these are a pointer to the fact that words are weighty, and they have consequences.

Whenever you speak, you are either destroying or building; making enemies or friends. Those who have their way with words can almost have their way in anything and everyone else.

After the death of Solomon, the people came to make a deal with Rehoboam who succeeded him. They were ready to be his loyal subjects, only they wanted him to shed off some of the heavy burdens put on them by Solomon. Instead of acceding to their request, he answered them roughly and promised them a more burdensome regime than they had known under his predecessor. He lost the kingdom, except the tribe of Judah. People skill entails knowing how to speak. This is a skill-set that all leaders must possess. Without it, one can ruin everything one is trying to build. It is not in vain that the Bible says death and life are in the power of the tongue. Whenever you speak, you are either destroying or building; making enemies or friends. Those who have their way with words can almost have their way in anything and everyone else.

Oftentimes, God’s people blame the devil for every wrong. However, God sees things differently. He does not see our mishaps as being from the devil, but from our own ignorance of His truth. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children” ( Hosea 4:6 KJV). God says He would reject His people because they lack knowledge. Note this, until God rejects a people, the devil has limited access to invade.

…until God rejects a people, the devil has limited access to invade… Our outcry should be more of light that comes via His word. Once we contact the light, we should learn to boldly declare it… What we declare with full assurance is what Heaven performs.

In both testaments, the idea of salvation means more than forgiveness of sins. It embraces liberty, deliverance, and prosperity. Altogether, that spells of the good desires of human beings; they are all available in God. There is a sequence in our text; light comes before salvation. Before the Lord becomes your salvation, He has to be your light. Light here represents the whole law of the Lord. It is translated illumination. The extent to which God illuminates you is the extent to which you can enjoy liberty, deliverance and prosperity. Job recalled the time when God’s light was his navigational tool. “When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness” (Job 29:3, KJV). That was the most prosperous and happiest moment of his life. When we also have the light of His word, we will walk in victory and dominion. Our outcry should be more of light that comes via His word. Once we contact the light, we should learn to boldly declare it like Psalmist did. What we declare with full assurance is what Heaven performs.

From the life of Mordecai, we can learn a couple of lessons about reward. He had certified to the king of a clandestine move by two of the king’s servants to kill him. That timely information saved the life of the king; but there was no immediate reward for him. This teaches us that it is only in our power to determine when we do good deeds, not when to reap the harvest. By the time the reward came, it was not only for him, but all the Jews in the empire benefited from it. From our passage, we can glean another important lesson. It is the fact that we must never foreclose which channel the Lord will use to reward us. God can never run short of channels; we should just realize that He is the source of our blessings. He asked Esther to intervene on behalf of her people, adding that if she failed, help would come from another quarter.

…it is only in our power to determine when we do good deeds, not when to reap the harvest…whatever we do should be as unto the Lord, since no labour ever goes unrewarded by Him.

The story of a pastor who I know personally can serve to illustrate this powerful truth. He dutifully served in an organization before he retired. After that, he was led to start an independent ministry. God used a man who gave a parcel of land to the new church and bought a second one for his personal use. As if that was not enough, the man pledged to build a personal apartment on the land for him. What makes this extra-ordinary is that the donor is not a member of his ministry. His reward did not necessarily come from the organization where he served but through another channel. This is why whatever we do should be as unto the Lord, since no labour ever goes unrewarded by Him.