The Rewards of Obedience

 Job 35, 36; 1 Corinthians 7-8 

“Be assured my words are not false; one perfect in knowledge is with you…if men are bound in chains, held fast by cords of affliction, he tells them what they have done – that they have sinned arrogantly. He makes them listen to correction and commands them to repent of their evil. If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.”

Job 36:4, 8-11

This counsel from Job’s friend Elihu is the seemingly logical, yet false gospel that if you serve God, everything in life will go well for you. If your life is difficult, then you must have done something to displease God. We only need to point to the persecution of the early Church, the apostle Paul, and countless faithful Christians around the world today to debunk this heresy. Becoming a disciple of Jesus who lives on mission is costly. It is the only way to possess our eternal inheritance, but the rewards rarely come in our time on earth. Jesus promises us an abundant life (John 10:10), with suffering persecution for the Gospel and his name. But – it’s worth it!

“Lord Jesus I pray for clarity of mission and faithfulness in your call, for your glory.”