REWARDS

God Sees Things Men Do Not!

Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much.  Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury;  "for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."  Matthew 12:41-44

Jesus watched how people put money into the treasury and the rich though they had put in much. But in reality the poor widow gave the most. For she had put in all she had.  As a result her reward in heaven would be great, while the reward of the rich would be very small. For the words of  Jesus are true even this day:

"There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. "But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, "desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  "So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom.

The rich man also died and was buried. "And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. "Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'

But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.  'And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'

"Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, 'for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'  "Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'  "And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' "But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.' " Luke 16:19-31

Life is only a once around thing. We do not get a second chance at life. Our real decisions, choices and actions here on earth determine our eternal consequences. If we live only for this temporal world we are nothing but fools just like the rich man. For one day it will all pass away and then we shall be in an eternal world.

Now for some it might be in places they never expected to be. While for others they will be in heaven but only at the bottom level or in the outer courts. Their mansion and kingdom will not be as it could have been, as they had lived quite well here on earth spending things on themselves and ignoring the work of God, as well as others.  So Jesus wisely told His disciples:

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21

A wise man loses what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose and will be with him forever. For the kingdom of God will last forever and will outlast ever other kingdom.  Now Jesus went onto state about how we look at things and whom we serve:

 "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.   "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!  "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

"So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;  "and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. "Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Matthew 6:22-30

It’s true that God’s people cannot serve both God and Mammon they have to make a choice of one or the other. But God, who feeds the birds of the air and clothes the lilies of the field, is able to take care of His own.  Not all can accept this fact and some feel that God helps those who help themselves. Such people usually end up in trouble and really will need God’s help. While others lean to their own understanding and make poor and faulty decisions and pay the resultant price for their foolishness. For God’s word is true:

Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.  But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:6-12

According to the Word of God we brought nothing into the world and it is certain we will take nothing out. Those who desire to be rich will fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. Due to the love of money some will stray from the faith in their greediness, and pierce themselves through with many sorrows. Definitely this not a nice circumstance to be in.  For God’s word is true:

For all that is in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:16-17

The waywardness of man places him in very precarious position that leaves him far from the purposes God has called him to. Man is destroyed by his own ways. He has forgotten to listen to God’s voice and heed His words. Then he cries when he receives no answer to his prayers.  His ways lead to death and destruction.  Man harbors only fair opinions of himself and God. Yet he does not do what takes courage to do. God has told him in His Word to be of good courage and do His judgments and follow His statutes. But no, he has to ignore the truth and follow after the vain philosophies of men. Rather doing what men think best than what God thinks is best.

Men’s carnal, frail ways have quickly taken them away from God and have destroyed them. So too now they will be truly destroyed because they have ignored God’s warning through His humble servants and refused to listen to His voice within them. They have chosen the world and vain philosophies to serving God in simplicity and truth.  God will do to them as they did to His humble servants. When they cry He will not hear. When they face calamity He will not see. When they draw their last breath He will not sigh. As they had no compassion for the suffering of their own brethren He has no compassion for them. Their destruction has come upon them and they will be no more shortly. For God’s word is true:

Turn at my rebuke;  Surely I will pour out my spirit on you;  I will make my words known to you.  Because I have called and you refused,  I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,  Because you disdained all my counsel,  And would have none of my rebuke,  I also will laugh at your calamity;  I will mock when your terror comes, When your terror comes like a storm,   And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,  When distress and anguish come upon you.

"Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;  They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.  Because they hated knowledge  And did not choose the fear of the LORD, They would have none of my counsel  And despised my every rebuke.   Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,  And be filled to the full with their own fancies.  For the turning away of the simple will slay them,  And the complacency of fools will destroy them;

But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,  And will be secure, without fear of evil." Proverbs 1:23-33

 
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