God’s Reward

God’s Reward

Genesis 14:21-23 Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself.” 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’— NKJV

Devotional: Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. One would have thought the descendants of Noah would have continued in righteousness, but that wasn’t the case. Nearly two hundred years after the flood, mankind became just as wicked as they had been before the flood. Abram was born nearly three hundred years after the flood. God told him to leave all and travel to a land of His leading. Lot chose the well-watered plains, but Abram followed God. After rescuing Lot from the four kings of the East, the king of Sodom wanted to bless Abram, saying, “You give me the people and I will give you all the goods.” But Abram replied, “I have already lifted up mine hand unto the Lord the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth. I will not take anything from you, not even a shoelace, so you won’t be able to say you made me rich.” Abram refused because all he wanted was God’s reward. No matter what great desires God has for your life, they will never materialize if you settle for anything less than God’s reward. Make up your mind to wait for God’s reward.

Prayer: Dear Lord, there is nothing more valuable to me than Your will and desire for my life. Yet there are times I fall short and I’m tempted to take a shortcut. Help me to seek out and surrender to Your will, even when it’s difficult to perceive. Help me to refuse the temptations and stratagems of Satan that are sent to cause me to miss the mark. Guide me through today that I might keep my eyes on the prize and lay hold of all You have prepared for me.