What’s in it for Me?

               A rich young man once came to Jesus Christ to ask what he must do to have eternal life. During the dialogue, we discovered that he had kept the Ten Commandments from his youth but he felt something was still not right with him. The Lord then told him to go sell his properties and give the proceeds to the poor and come follow Him. The young rich man felt the requirement was too great and impossible to meet and he left sad and grieving. Then the Lord remarked that it was impossible for the rich to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The disciples were perplexed and wondered who could make it then. Peter, being the forthright one, responded by saying: “We’ve given up everything to follow You. What will we get out of it?” (Matthew 19:27, NLT). This question comes to the mind of children of God regularly when faced with difficult situations or in the aftermath of a terrible decision. Like the Disciples, so many point out to Christ what they had given up with little or nothing to show for it. At their conversion, so many were promised that everything will be settled and all things will work for their good. Subsequent teachings may allude to the fact that the reason they were having difficulties was the fact that they were not doing enough for the Master, and so they throw themselves more into the work either by giving of their time or by giving more of their substance. The truth is things never seem to pan out when the terrible challenges come. It’s as if they are on their own and no one is there to help! 
              You may be in this situation and you have been wandering what you may have done wrong to warrant all these happening to you. You tithe faithfully, you give offerings faithfully, in fact you love the Lord and serve Him fervently in the position He has placed you. But here you are, your colleagues, family and friends are asking ‘where is the God you serve?’ Don’t lose hope or your confidence in Him because He never left you. Let’s hear the reply Jesus gave Peter for the question he asked earlier: “I assure you: There is no one who has left a house, wife or brothers, parents or children because of the Kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more at this time and eternal life in the age to come” (Luke 18:29). It simply means, in this world that which you gave up, God will reward you except you doubted or shifted positions. Remember, doubters will not receive anything from the Living Lord (James 1:7). The suffering you are in presently is for a little while and unknown to you is producing an eternal wealth of glory (2Corinthinans 4:17). The Lord encourages us not to lose faith but be firm (unyielding and uncompromising) in our faith in Him. As we do this, we are effectively resisting the enemy, and just as He did for the 3 Hebrew boys, the Lord will come into the situation to protect and preserve you. He reminds us that what we are going through is not strange as our brethren all over the world are undergoing same. Just as He promised Abraham and brought it to pass, the same He did for us: “Accordingly God also, in His desire to show more convincingly and beyond doubt in those who were to inherit the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose and plan, intervened (mediated) with an oath. This was so that, by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath] in which it is impossible for God ever to prove false or deceive us, we who have fled [to Him] for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope appointed for us and set before [us]” (Hebrews 6:17-18). Based on the above, this is what He says to you and I: “Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little (1Peter5:10). Therefore, my friend lets draw strength from the boundless strength of the Lord. ‘What’s in it for you?’ WAIT, He will indeed settle you after all He did not call you to seek Him in vain (Isaiah 45:19 – NKJV). The grace to wait is released upon you in Jesus Christ name. God bless you.

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