June 13, 2018
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” – 1 Peter 1:3-4
We live in a world that loves instant gratification. However, nothing that is truly valuable comes quickly or easily. Jesus warns us about instant gratification in Matthew 6:2 when he says, “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.” Instant rewards are usually worth about as much as we have put into them. When we desire for our reward to be instant and material, we desire for them to be meager and perishing. There is a greater way to live…
Thankfully, Jesus does not end his teaching in Matthew 6 with a warning. He goes on in verses 3 and 4 to say, “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Why is this good news? Because the rewards of our Heavenly Father are not often instant, but they are always generous and imperishable. So as you give your best for God’s Kingdom today, remember; you may not always see instant or even tangible results. But you can be guaranteed treasure in heaven!
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Shane Cannon
