God, My Exceedingly Great Reward

Because of technology difficulties last week, I wasn't able to send anything out. Next week I will be out of the country so may not get a message out then either.

But this week I'd like to briefly share on Genesis 15:1 where the Lord says to Abraham, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."

God tells Abraham this before He makes a covenant with him related to the impact his life will make. It's as though God wants to establish His priority in Abraham's life: I am your highest Reward; the impact of your life is secondary to ME.

This word to Abraham, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has for years been a key word in my life, helping me stay focussed and steady. I believe we need a revelation from the Holy Spirit of God's priorities in order to stay steady and unoffended in the midst of the pressure of unfulfilled secondary rewards. If the fulfillment of the good things that God has promised to me (whether related to people or ministry in my life, etc.) is delayed (which is most often the case), it won't cause bitterness in my heart because I have my primary/first Reward now and always! If He really is my primary Reward, then I can wait without losing heart or becoming bitter when He delays His promises in other arenas of my life.

His words and promises to me related to my ministry impact and relationships are very important to Him but are secondary in importance to His being my First Love and my Great Reward.

So what does it mean to have God as my exceedingly great Reward? It will look differently in each person's life, but there's no getting around the reality that it requires time and effort and intentionality. There must be an increasing desire and determination to press into knowing Him intimately, or all the secondary rewards will easily take over first place in our attention.

I believe we can ask the Holy Spirit for revelation of and desire for God's priority, and we can insist, as all the great men and women of God have done, on knowing Him intimately through taking time for prayer and intercession and the study of His Word, through adoration and worship, through fasting and giving, and through obedience to whatever He gives us to do.

He is absolutely committed to bringing us into the First Love reality with Him and so we can ask for His leadership in getting there. There is no "one size fits all" so each of us must develop a close relationship with the Holy Spirit in order to know how to grow in this. He is very patient but determined; when He finds a hungry soul, He begins to overcome the barriers and obstacles in order to get us to this place of His being our Great Reward...perhaps part of how He gets us to this is by withholding the fulfillment of the secondary rewards?? He cares too much about our well-being (which is defined by His primary place in our life) to spoil us! How I love His ways even when they are painful!

Lord, we bow to Your leadership and say "Yes" once again to Your wise and kind ways. Holy Spirit, open our eyes to the Father's priority and awaken desire to align with His priority. Thank You for Your faithful work of love; thank You that You will bring us to this place of First Love and will also fulfill all Your promises related to the secondary rewards in our lives! We love you...