Matthew 5:12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
It's tough to wait on anything in our fast food world. Especially when we're hungry now!
I read a story not long ago about men who work in a gold mine six days a week under back-breaking conditions, twelve or more hours a day, for slave wages. What they earn isn't enough to feed themselves let alone their families. But each man is allowed to go in on the seventh day to work as long as he wants and he gets to keep all the gold he finds for himself.
Life is not easy for any of us but we're spoiled in this country. We're used to getting what we want when we want it. Saving up for something we want is pretty much a thing of the past. When we see something we want, we just whip out a credit card. We don't know what it means to scrimp and save and work hard to attain something of value.
That's why it's so difficult for us to comprehend the concept of suffering for the gospel now to attain the blessings of our heavenly inheritance.
Visualize if you will, a world where there's no credit system. Everyone has to pay for what they want with cash. You want a house. The only way to buy that house is to save up the money to pay for it. You can bet you'd sacrifice whatever necessary and put aside every penny to realize your dream. Ten years later when you've finally saved up enough to buy the house you want, imagine your elation! You could have just lived in an apartment paying rent for all your days and it would have been fine. But now you have your own home paid for by your diligent effort.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
We don't have to earn our way to heaven. Jesus already paid for our ticket. But what Jesus is saying to us is, don't worry about the inconveniences or problems you'll face for speaking the truth about me. Just do it. In the end, nothing matters because your reward is not in this world, it's in heaven. By His blood, all born-again Christians will go to heaven. But there are rewards beyond just getting a foot in the door. I don't know about you, but I want to hear my Savior say, "well done good and faithful servant." That will be the greatest reward ever!
Father, help us in our unbelief. Help us overcome our fear of what people will think of us. Holy Spirit, remind us that our time here is short, the world needs Jesus, and we've got a job to do. May we prepare our testimony, impress the gospel upon our hearts and be prepared to speak as the Holy Spirit leads. In Jesus' name, amen.
