I Am Your Reward

       Sometimes I wonder what our responses will be if God tells us individually, ‘I will not give you houses, lands, and all other possessions, rather I will be your possession!’ How would we react, would we still serve and follow Him? Would there be a ‘yet’ in our response to Him if we do not get what He had promised (Habakkuk 3:17-18)? If all fail and the way forward is bleak, would we still follow? 

       A young man that was reeling from a devastating loss of all he had was reminded that God is his inheritance and portion; he replied ‘I know, but…!’ The truth is, as sons of the Most High God, He is our REWARD! When we understand this, we can begin to appropriate for ourselves that which has been freely given to us before the foundations of the earth! Sadly, our idea of God being our possession and inheritance is when we can physically see, gauge and hold the ‘possession’ and ‘inheritance’ then it is real! To many children of God, God is good to them based on their earthly possessions. And when they don’t have them, something must be wrong with their beliefs or quality of service to Him. 

       This reminds me of my state many years ago as a young believer in Christ, I wondered then why the Lord did not gift the tribe of Levi their own territory for inheritance as He gifted the other eleven (11) tribes. In a Discipleship Bible Study Class when these Scriptures were read: “The Lord told Aaron, ‘You will not have an inheritance in their land, there will be no portion among them for you. I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites’” (Numbers 18:20) and “This will be their inheritance: I am their inheritance. You are to give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession” (Ezekiel 44:28). Also Deuteronomy 10:8-9 and Revelation 1:6. There was confusion in the hearts of many of us. What did God mean? Are we not to have lands, houses, good things of this life? The questions were numerous and confusing! Sadly, the teacher then could not truly explain to us what the Lord was saying. At the end of the Study, what we could make of it was that this earth is not ours, we should be heavenly minded (which is true by the way), and not think on or imagine to own these things! Like Berean Christians, we went back to the Lord to study! 

       What does this mean for us today? To understand this, as the Lord helps us, let’s go back to the beginning. After Abram and his army of 318 trained men defeated the four kings in Genesis 14, it was clear that Abram was blessed by God in wealth as he turned down the offer from the king of Sodom to have a share in the plunder. Then God spoke to him: “After these things the word of the Lord God came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward” (Genesis 15:1.KJV). This means everything God is and owns is Abrams’! Abram understanding this was confused why he should be childless since the Creator of the Universe is his reward. God showed him: “He took him outside and said, ‘Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ Then He said to him, ‘Your offspring will be that numerous’” (Genesis 15:5). This blessing came to pass because we are today part of Abraham’s offspring – to as many as believe in Jesus Christ! 

      Beloved, if you have surrendered your life and heart to the Master – becoming His bond-servant, everything He owns is yours and all that you own is His! For instance, in the parable of the Prodigal Son, referring to the son that remained with the father: “’Son’, he said to him, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours…’” (Luke 15:31). Beloved, as a son of God, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, everything in His House (Kingdom) is yours. Name it: healing, prosperity, greatness, increase, divine health, favor, abundance, enjoyment etc are all yours: “Ask of Me, and I will make the nations your inheritance and the ends of the earth your possession” (Psalm 2:8). If you believe this, then stand up from the seat of despondency and ask the Lord for what you need with a heart of gratitude because it has already been prepared for you: “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). 

        Beloved, the wealth of Abraham is beyond the physical, so is our wealth in Christ Jesus. He is ours and we are His; He is our Reward, not because of what we had done, but because of Who He is: “Lord, You are my portion and my cup of blessing; You hold my future. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance” (Psalm 16:5-6). This is our reality! May the Lord help you to walk in this truth and to appropriate for yourself all that had been prepared for you at this time before the foundations of the earth, in Jesus Christ name. God bless you.