The Lord, Our Reward

Today’s Verse:

After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. ~Genesis 15:1

---

A reward is an acknowledgement that is given to someone for a performance. The Hebrew word used in our devotion is translated “compensation” or “payment for services performed.” At a time when Abraham was second guessing himself and under stress for being the only believer in a world filled with pagans, God lovingly told him, “I am… thy exceeding great reward.” The greatest reward we can receive is the Lord Himself.

We see the assurance.

God gave Abraham a powerful assurance that the Lord Himself is his reward. The assurance of this reward is our salvation. It is in Genesis 15:6 that we have the record that Abraham believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousness. The reward of salvation is that God Himself is our Saviour and that faith in His shed blood and death on the cross saves us from all our sin and assures us of eternal life. Eternal life is a free gift. Eternal life is God’s reward for faith alone in Jesus’ death and resurrection. “I am… thy exceeding great reward” is a powerful assurance that God does not change His Word or mind on this.

We see the accomplishments.

God promises a manifold number of rewards for accomplishments on our part. The Lord rewards His people for our righteousness (Psalm 18:20). An example of the reward for righteousness is Job: see Job 1. The Lord rewards His people for obedience to His Word (Psalm 19:11). Children are the Lord’s reward in marriage (Psalm 127:3). The Lord rewards His people for heaping coals of fire on the head of our enemies (Proverbs 25:22). The glory of the Lord is our reward (Isaiah 58:8). God rewards His servants who stand for Him and are persecuted (Matthew 5:12). The Lord rewards His people when our almsgiving, praying, and fasting are done in secret (Matthew 6). God’s people are eligible to receive an incorruptible crown, a crown of righteousness, a crown of rejoicing, a crown of life, and a crown of glory as rewards for faithful performance. When we exercise faith, He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. God exhorts us to exceptional performance through His rewards.

We see the ambition.

We are encouraged to pursue the Lord’s rewards. Nobody does better in acknowledging work well done than God does. His rewards are lasting and eternal. His rewards are incorruptible and perfect. Of course, the greatest reward is the Lord Himself. He told Abraham, “I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” When Abraham heard this, he realized that the Lord gives us His best and His all. “Exceeding great” is a powerful description of the abundance and magnitude of the reward. It is never small, and it always exceeds our expectations. We should earnestly desire to be rewarded for doing God’s will. It requires discipline, diligence, and determination to earn God’s rewards. We should also remember that the Lord Himself being our reward is His grace at work. Abraham did not have to do anything for the Lord to be his reward. Salvation is a work of grace. His safety and strength being made perfect in weakness is a work of grace.

Be encouraged this morning that the Lord is thy exceeding great reward!

Have a rewarded God Morning!

Bible Reading Schedule: Psalms 51-57

#Genesis #Reward