Word for Wednesday
For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. Mark 9:41
An old man lived in a small town, but he had no friends. He spoke little, took no interest in community affairs, and spent most of his time in his tiny house. This man was ugly of face, and raspy and unpleasant of voice. People went out of their way to ignore him. After the old man died, a lawyer came forward with a will that the old man had left. Surprising to the folks in the town, the old man was a millionaire. He had no relatives to whom to leave his money. His will bequeathed his substantial fortune to a young woman in the town. According to the will, this young woman on occasion had smiled at the old man, and had spoken pleasantly to him. For doing so, she was well rewarded. Even better rewarded are those who kindly serve the Lord’s servants!
One area where the Lord’s people are served is at conference meals (in non-Covid years). Take careful note of those who wait on the tables, those who dispense the meals, and those who tend to all the tasks small and large associated with the conference hospitality. All are earning rewards. Those who invite Christians – especially visitors – to their homes for meals are also accumulating rewards. And throughout our days, we receive and hand out little and big kindnesses to our fellow saints. Such service also includes the financial fellowship shared with preachers and others, the work that goes into help for missionaries and the poor. The range of service covered by the cup of cold water is broad, and all is eligible for heaven’s rewards.
There are many programs around us where you can accumulate points, such as air miles and credit card usage points. But the rewards can often be small or meaningless, and the points can expire after a time. Not so Heaven’s reward system! The Lord Jesus will have at His judgment seat a perfect accounting of every cup of cold water we have served, every kind deed we have ever performed, every comforting word we have ever uttered.
Unfortunately for most of us, there is no reward for good intentions that were never carried out. But for service to the Lord’s people and to those in need, Heaven’s rewards are certain. -Jim MacIntosh