Memorise: And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. – Matthew 10:42
Read: Matthew 6:1-6 (KJV)
1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Bible in One Year: 1 Kings 1-2, psalms 37, 71, 94
MESSAGE:
Expecting reciprocal help from those you have helped may not be wise. God does not always work that way.
“For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?” – Matthew 5:46
In today’s memory verse, Jesus promises a reward to whoever gives a drink to any young and defenseless person for the gospel sake. This is indeed encouraging and reassuring.
Going by this, as children of God, we must do good to all men, regardless of their affiliations. That way, we will be like our impartial Father who causes the rain to fall and sun to shine on both the good and the evil.
Sometimes ago, a Christian couple fed an unbelieving young man. This gesture eventually made him give his life to Christ. Today, that young man is the founder of a successful Christian organization with many branches across Nigeria. Imagine the effects of one good deed.
Jesus warned against doing good deeds because of the praise of men (Matthew 6:1-6). For many years, Christians generally adhered to this. However, things are changing really fast today. Some people even publicize their trips to motherless babies’ homes. Jesus says in Matthew 6:2:
“Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.”
The Lord wants you to always do good to your neighbours. This way, you will show you are a true child of your Father. “…he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.” (Proverbs 14:21). Follow peace with all men and show kindness to everyone. God will surely reward you.
Action Point: Look out for the poor in your community and be good to them.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries.
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