What is your reward?
If the righteous are rewarded here on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner? Proverbs 11:31
This verse pretty much sums up chapter 11 of Proverbs. It is all about the rewards of living according to God’s ways or the results of an ungodly life. It starts out talking about honesty and justice, then goes into humility and pride. These all go back to the believe that God’s ways are what produce success in life. He created the earth and everything in it, and He knows the way to succeed. Righteous living produces life and godless living produces death. This is not about works for salvation. It is only about the way of prosperity and success here in this world. If you listen to wisdom and live life according to God’s ways, you can be “successful” in this world even without salvation. However, true riches are measured in the untouchable gifts that only come through receiving salvation through the blood of Jesus and God’s Holy Spirit.
Matthew 5 45 says, “…for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust”. Jesus said the things that happen in the world happen for all people. Whether you are evil or good, just or unjust, you still get rained or sunshined on. The ways of God will work for you or the ways of evil will work against you. It is truly the proof that “good works” do not produce eternal salvation. This is how you can determine who are God’s people, not by their success in life or how good they behave, it is only by their personal relationship with God through Christ Jesus.
Today I want to encourage you as you read through this chapter in proverbs. Consider any areas of your life that you can become more successful in simply by lining up with God’s ways of doing things. Also, I would encourage you to consider your relationship with God. Do you only go to Him with trouble and bail outs or do you press into Him and His ways to be successful in the plans He has for you. Lastly, consider your works. Are you depending on good behavior to secure your eternity or do you truly have a personal relationship with your Heavenly Father through your Savior Jesus? If you have never invited Jesus to be the LORD of your life, pray this prayer today and Jesus will come into your life and bridge that gap between you and your Father in heaven. Then line up all your ways with His path and step into all the successes He has waiting for you.
Pray: God in heaven, I know I’m a sinner and I need a Savior. I want to turn away from my sinful life to the life You have planned for me. Please forgive me for my sins, cleanse me from my past, and make me new. I know you Son, Jesus died for me. I believe in my heart that You raised Him form the dead. At this very moment, I accept, confess and proclaim Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior . . . to be Lord of my life from this day forward. Thank you, Jesus for Your grace that has saved me from my sin and has given me eternal life. I now have a right relationship with God my Father. I also ask for Your Holy Spirit to guide and empower me to do the things that You have planned for my life in Jesus name, Amen
Today’s scripture reading; Proverbs 11
The Daily Dose 