“From the Heart” teaching by Drs. Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne.
So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.
1 Corinthians 3:7-8 NIV
God told Noah that for every seed time there would be a harvest (Genesis 8:22). God is also a rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him out (Hebrews 11:6). We plant, we water, but God gives the increase. He rewards us according to our labor. It is God’s garden. He knows what He wants and where He wants it. We are responsible to find out what our job description is and to do it. God is the One who will pay us our wages at the end of the day.
One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done. Psalms 62:11-12 NIV
“I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.”
Jeremiah 17:10 NIV
Nothing you do for God is forgotten or overlooked. God is watching us. He is searching our heart and examining our mind. There is a reward and He rewards us according to what we have done. We choose the reward we receive according to our deeds, our works and our acts of service.
A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself. The wicked man earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward. The truly righteous man attains life, but he who pursues evil goes to his death. Proverbs 11:17-19 NIV
Misfortune pursues the sinner, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous. Proverbs 13:21 NIV
There are no shortcuts in God’s kingdom, no get-rich-quick schemes and no manipulation of the system. You cannot step on other people or abuse them, neither can you lie to God or fool Him. He sees, He knows and He rewards you justly according to your deeds. You must follow His plan and His directions. You must accept His way and follow His path. Then you will be blessed and you will reap the harvest you deserve.
Hebrews 13:16 says, “Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” and Titus 2:14 says that Jesus Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”
Jesus redeemed us from all wickedness and purified us so that we would have a heart change and be eager to do good. God is pleased when we do good and He rewards our good deeds.
By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. Hebrews 11:24-26 NIV
Moses, one of God’s great leaders, chose to step down from his exalted and privileged position as Pharaoh’s daughter, to obey and serve God. He took his place with his brothers, choosing to suffer mistreatment and disgrace rather than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking forward to God’s reward. The highest reward you can receive in heaven and on earth is God’s reward.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. Matthew 16:24-27 NIV
You could own the whole world with a gold fence around it, but it could not compare with God’s reward for those who have laid down every thing for Him and given Him their every thing. If you want God’s reward, you must lay down your life and you must place it in His hands. God is your rewarder!