“Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me.” (Revelation 22:12 NLT)

Reward—it fills the pages of both Testaments. C. S. Lewis writes: “If you consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Your Lord finds your desires not too strong, but too weak.”

Unblushing means boldfaced, unashamed. Did you know the promises of reward offered to you in Scripture are bold, unashamed, brazen? Reward is a central theme in the teachings of Jesus, in the Bible as a whole.

God seems to be of the opinion that no one should sustain the rigors of the Christian life without very robust and concrete hopes of brazen reward.

Consider that pastor who serves a small and petty congregation for forty years. What about the believer who struggled under mental illness, largely alone? What do they have to look forward to? No doubt every noble deed of their hidden faithfulness, every misunderstood action of love will be individually and specifically rewarded.

Oh yes, rewards will be given out in the kingdom with great honor and ceremony. And I believe one of our greatest joys will be to witness it happen.

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I know very few contemporary Christians who have a hope of coming reward. The old saints did, but not our age. Is reward something you allow yourself to hope for? If not ... why not?

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