From Day 1 in Fear Not..."I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward" (Gen. 15:1). God has given us the shield of faith as a weapon to hold up against all the devil's fiery darts (Eph. 6:16) and that shield, He tells Abraham, is HIM! And what a shield He is! He is not just our reward; He is not just a GREAT one, but an EXCEEDINGLY great reward!
Oh, is that not true? No matter what we give up for His sake, no matter what other loves we choose to make lessor (even family), He is exceedingly greater. There is nothing we can give up that is greater in measure, goodness, or reward than Him. We cannot lose by choosing Him!
I have given up much by choosing Him and His ways but it's all worth it. Sometimes I've asked myself if I chose wrong because the consequences have at times been so hard, but NO, NO, and NO again. He's worth any pain of any loss. Have you found that so too?
Paul says the same, "I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death" (Phil. 3:7-10).
He gave up all not because the law said to do it but because He KNEW Jesus and loved Him with all his heart and found that love to be a treasure worth giving all for. Oh, that we would come to know Him that well!
Oh, is that not true? No matter what we give up for His sake, no matter what other loves we choose to make lessor (even family), He is exceedingly greater. There is nothing we can give up that is greater in measure, goodness, or reward than Him. We cannot lose by choosing Him!
I have given up much by choosing Him and His ways but it's all worth it. Sometimes I've asked myself if I chose wrong because the consequences have at times been so hard, but NO, NO, and NO again. He's worth any pain of any loss. Have you found that so too?
Paul says the same, "I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death" (Phil. 3:7-10).
He gave up all not because the law said to do it but because He KNEW Jesus and loved Him with all his heart and found that love to be a treasure worth giving all for. Oh, that we would come to know Him that well!