Reward for Living for God?

Prayer – Lord, please give me insight into Your word…and what justice means. How can I live to satisfy Your expectations of righteous living?

Slimy old snail

Justice—do you rulers know the meaning of the word? Do you judge the people fairly? No! You plot injustice in your hearts. You spread violence throughout the land. These wicked people are born sinners; even from birth they have lied and gone their own way. They spit venom like deadly snakes; they are like cobras that refuse to listen, ignoring the tunes of the snake charmers, no matter how skillfully they play. Break off their fangs, O God! Smash the jaws of these lions, O LORD! May they disappear like water into thirsty ground. Make their weapons useless in their hands. May they be like snails that dissolve into slime, like a stillborn child who will never see the sun. God will sweep them away, both young and old, faster than a pot heats over burning thorns. The godly will rejoice when they see injustice avenged. They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked. Then at last everyone will say, "There truly is a reward for those who live for God; surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth." Psalm 58:1-11

 

Meditate. There truly is a reward for those who live for God…. What reward are you seeking?

 

David wrote asking about justice and declares that there is a God who judges justly here on earth. Scripture tells us over and over that God is a just ruler.

Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice. You love justice and hate evil. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else. Psalm 45:6-7 (Underlined for emphasis on justice.)

 

You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God's judgment when you do the same things? Romans 2:1-3

Wow! Judge not least you be judged! We will all be judged for not only our actions…but our thoughts and deeds as well. Interestingly enough, Jesus will judge us…but He will do it by God the Father, just as Paul wrote to the church at Rome.

And this is the message I proclaim--that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone's secret life. Romans 2:16

The reward of those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior…and live for God will be an opportunity to serve with Christ. What a great honor that will be for those who serve God and Christ as priests and kings.

Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their forehead or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.) Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years. Revelation 20:4-6

 

… and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. Revelation 1:5-6 (Underlined for emphasis.)

As written in Psalm 19, keeping the law of the Lord, the precepts of the Lord, the commandments of the Lord, being respectful of the Lord, and knowing that one day we will be judged by the Lord gives us warning about keeping God’s teachings. In our scripture today, David tells us there will be a reward for those who live for God. We know that the reward will not be a free ticket into Heaven. That door is opened by turning our repentant heart to believing in Jesus as our Savior. Will that reward just be a blessing of happiness as alluded to in Proverbs 29:18? Or will the reward be serving as a priest or king with Jesus Christ? Is the choice ours by our obedience to the Lord now? What is the reward for living for God?

 

Verse of Salvation ~ My mercy and justice are coming soon. My salvation is on the way. My strong arm will bring justice to the nations. All distant lands will look to me and wait in hope for my powerful arm. Isaiah 51:5

 

Memory Verse of the Week ~ Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. Colossians 3:16

Happy Birthday Lisa! 🎵

Much Love and Blessing Today and Always!

© 2022 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm. 

Books by Mickey M. Hunacek

Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com

Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories