A few years ago, I decided it was time for a reward day for Jesse and Cathy Duplantis. Both of us had been dieting pretty strong, eating all the right foods and staying away from sugar totally. Our travel schedule had been hectic and we were at home enjoying a relaxing moment in front of the television. Just then a commercial interrupted the old movie we were watching and I was inspired.
Now just the fact that we were actually watching an entire commercial was an odd thing. Jesse is lightning fast with the remote control and always scans the channels during the commercial breaks looking for news, weather or lions eating warthogs.
But this time he was instantly captured by a vision of a piece of chocolate cake that was so fresh and moist that it bounced back with a fork. Both of us seemed to be frozen in time as we longingly watched the man put a forkful of that cake into his mouth. Jesse and I licked our lips, looked each other in the eye and I said, "Would you like a chocolate cake, Honey?"
As soon as he nodded yes, I forgot about the movie and was speeding down the street toward the store. I was on a mission! It was time for a reward! And in less than an hour after watching that commercial, our home was filled with the most wonderful sugary smell and I was smoothing chocolate icing on our own fresh baked yellow cake layers. Can you say "Ymmmmm!"?
Now Jesse can mutilate a cake worse than any one that I know. He has a bad habit of putting his fork right into the cake for a mouthful. As you can imagine, I usually fuss and give him a hard time about it. But while the cake was in the oven, I thought of a way to let Jesse have his cake and eat it without hassles from me.
After smoothing the icing on top of the double layer cake, I cut it right down the middle and told Jesse that one half was for him and the other was for me. Now my intent at the time was to just let him mutilate his half so that I could keep the other side nice and neat on the cake plate. But that is not what happened at all.
We were so hyped up for this cake, we each took half and wolfed it down while it was still hot. It was our reward day and we enjoyed every gluttonous bite. Afterward we looked guiltily at each other and Jesse jokingly said, "Cathy, we have sinned!" It was a long time before we allowed ourselves to have another reward day.
Reward: It's a Good Idea
Have you noticed that every good idea is a God idea? His idea to send Jesus to die for the sins of the world has transported countless thousands out of the power of darkness and into His glorious light. Jesus taught us in John 3:16 that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. That one good idea from God has established an eternal reward to whosoever believes in Jesus!
Throughout the Word we see a God that rewards obedience, faithfulness and faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Reward: The Result of Obedience
The Hebrew word for reward is defined as payment of contract, wages, salary or compensation. God is looking for ways to reward and bless all those that walk in obedience to His Word!
Psalm 84:11 declares, For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. And Psalm 31:23 says, "I love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer."
We should begin this new year with a greater appreciation and expectancy for God to plentifully reward the church. Gone are the days of limitations. We have come too far to go back into lack. Jesus came that we can have abundant life, overflowing with God's best!
Hebrews 10:35-36 says, "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise."
This is not the time to be weary in well doing, passed out on the floor as due season approaches. God's promise of salvation, healing, deliverance, favor, wisdom and peace are available to you today. It is His idea. And it is a good one!
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