KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Tuesday, October 09, 2018
Chapters: Luke 6, Matthew 5
Message: Great Is Your Reward
Hello My Friend,
I was in the kitchen making a cup of coffee and venting with God about both my jobs and their attempt to keep from paying us the full amount of money that we are allotted for the tasks that another company pays for us to make sure their product is on the shelves and being sold. They both are trying not to pay us the full amount that the company actually pays them to pay us to be in there. God reminded me of the parable that Jesus spoke about the man paying the same wage to the laborers, even if they work one or ten hours. This has me thinking that as Christians, it sometimes does not seem fair to work hard when we seem to get cheated out of our wages while those who do not get paid the same. But we must remember there is only one wage paid for sin, and that is death, we cannot work our way to heaven, and we do not have to because Jesus paid that wage on the cross. “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 6:22-23.
True Christians always seem to work harder and longer for the same wage, not for their salvation, but for their faithfulness. I we are going to preach the Gospel, we also live it, even when the world uses. So, I really do not like my jobs right now, I have to jump at the beck and call of one of them today, as soon as I get a text I have to stop whatever I am doing and drive to the place they tell me and put up whatever it is the is being delivered there. There is one task that I am supposed to drive to a place and whether it takes me fifteen minutes or a half hour I get paid the same, and sometimes it takes an hour just to drive to they place. I am scheduled for thirty-five hours this week, next week I will have four. And this is what I am talking about, they push you around and treat you badly because they know you need to work, they will throw you to the wolves, and throw you to the curb if you do not do exactly what they want. However, we can take comfort in being sent into the world to live the Gospel for we are blessed.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” – Matthew 5:3-12.
“for great is your reward in heaven:” It does not matter if we get treated badly by our employers, get accused of things we did not do, or even suffer persecution for things we did not do, we can endure it, and when we do our reward from God will be great. Luke tells us more of these blessings, gives a warning to those who think they do not need the Gospel, and also what we are to do to those who afflict us.
“Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets. But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” – Luke 6:22-28,32-35.
“what thank have ye? ” This goes without says, that quite frankly, we rarely receive thanks and praise by those we know and love for the things we do for them. To love our enemy, that is a great task, and something that only by the power and grace of God that we can even achieve. And what is our reward for doing so? “and ye shall be the children of the Highest:” Praise God! Let me tell you, the world, and even some Christians, may worm their way around their work and get blessed because God is kind and merciful to the unthankful and evil too. And God knows their works, whether or not they believe the Gospel and are living it or trusting in their religious works to save them. The Pharisees prided themselves on their religion and power, they were like the mega churches of today, lots of followers, very wealthy, famous, claiming they know the Word of God and obey it. They grab a few lines of Scripture, stick it in a book they created, making it look as though it all came from God, and it was even inspired, yet full of lies. One Sabbath, the disciples were picking corn in the field when the Pharisees spotted them, they confronted Jesus about the matter, asking Him why they broke the law.
“And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days? And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him; How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone? And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.” – Luke 6:1-5.
“And certain of the Pharisees said unto them,” Why were these men even in the fields watching what they were doing? I will tell you why, they are a bunch of busy bodies that want to cause trouble wherever they go. There is always someone trying to discredit Jesus, still today people will go out of their way to try and find some flaw in the Scriptures and try to change them, even the pope tried to do that this year. How can a group of people so in love with God hate the very man that is the face of God? Simply put, pride. Jesus brings conviction out of people, whether He is right there in front of your face or you are hearing what He says through His words, people do not want to admit that they are sinners. Religion likes to taunt that “I am doing a good work for God”, but Jesus reminds them that they are all in danger of hell if they do not repent of their dead works. We have to understand that this is not about us, it is about Jesus, we are going to be hated because we choose Him, there is a time to fight, but we fight His way, not ours.
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.” – Matthew 5:17-22,25-26.
“That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees,” These were the richest, most religious, and influential men in all of Israel, yet they we no more closer to God than the poorest person that did not know Him. Serving God and following a bunch of religious rules has nothing to do with our salvation, we must receive Christ as our Saviour for that. Our labor has nothing to do with our salvation, but everything to do with our thankfulness and gratitude for the sacrifice Jesus made in giving His life to save us, and they are what brings others to Him. “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.” – I Peter 2:11-12.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” – Matthew 5:17.
Today’s Prayer: Jesus, You know my heart, my thoughts, and even my actions before I do them. I know that I am who I am today because of what You did on Calvary. I am not the same creature I was when You picked me up out of the hole I was in, but You are not done with me yet. You have much work more for me to do, not that I might keep my salvation, but that You might be seen through me. I am sorry for neglecting you when life gets so busy sometimes, that is when I need to draw near to You more. Lord, lead me and guide me, give me the strength that only You can give me to be more like You. Let me be the disciple You need me to be, to be a witness and testimony for those who need You, and even those who have lost their way, show me how to love my enemy and do good to those who hate me, for I know that my reward is great. In Your name, Jesus, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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