Greetings to you in the most powerful name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Welcome once again as we continue our study of God’s Word. We’re still exploring the topic of God’s various rewards and the standards He uses to give them. This is Part 4.
Jesus spoke to a Pharisee who had invited Him to a banquet and shared this powerful teaching:
Luke 14:12–14 (NIV) Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Luke 14:15 (NIV) When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
If you’re a believer who has been saved, don’t forget to care for those in need. Use what God has blessed you with to help the poor and vulnerable. Why? Because there is a great reward in heaven waiting for those who remember the needy—especially on that day when the Lord raises His chosen ones to give them their eternal rewards.
When you give, or when you host celebrations, don’t only include people who are well-off or who can return the favor. Go out of your way to invite or support those who have nothing to offer in return. Don’t limit your generosity to those who have helped you—extend it to those who can’t. In doing so, you’re storing up real treasure in heaven.
The Apostle Paul was committed to this principle. After meeting with the apostles, this is what he said:
Galatians 2:9–10 (NIV) James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.
Do you see it? When we notice those who are struggling—the poor, the orphans, and those who are lacking—we should see that as our opportunity to earn great rewards in heaven. Let’s make every effort to help.
In heaven, our wealth won’t be measured by what we had on earth, but by what we did with it—especially acts of generosity like these. If everything we receive is spent only on ourselves or shared only with those like us, we are actually diminishing our eternal reward.
Giving doesn’t require us to be rich. Even if you have just a little—say 100 shillings—you can give 50 to help someone in need and still have enough for yourself. It’s the heart behind the giving that God rewards.
May the Lord help us see this clearly, and may we start today to remember and care for those in need.
God bless you.
Print this post
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Δ