Hearing His Voice #296

The laws of the LORD . . . are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.

Psalm 19:9, 11

We’re uncomfortable with the idea of rewards, but God isn’t. He talks about them often. Jesus told His disciples after many of His instructions, “Great is your reward,” if they would do what He said. Salvation can’t be earned, of course, but there are benefits to hearing and following God’s voice, and negative consequences when we don’t. That’s just the way it is.

That’s why God’s commands are still intensely relevant for believers today. Those commands are revelations of God’s nature and His desires. We know we don’t accomplish anything in His Kingdom by our own efforts—we can do nothing without Jesus (John 15:5), and it’s actually Christ and not us who lives within us (Galatians 2:20). But we still need to know what He wants from us. If we are being conformed to the image of Christ, we need to know what that image looks like and see if we’re on track. And if God is giving out rewards for those who love Him enough to follow Him well, it only makes sense for Him to let us know how to receive them.

In Psalm 19:11, the instructions are rewards in themselves. They are a warning and a reward, a cause that has its inevitable effect, a seed that bears fruit every time. When God tells us what’s on His heart and reveals His design for our lives, it isn’t because He wants to restrict us; it’s because He wants us to experience His fullness. Disobedience may have consequences, but so does living in a way that’s consistent with God’s nature and character. His words, if followed, become catalysts for abundant blessings in our lives.

Lord, I want Your best for my life. I want to experience Your fullness and joy. My mind realizes that any impulse to step out of Your will might cause me to miss a blessing; let my heart agree. I renounce any attempt to earn Your rewards, but embrace every effort to receive them.