“Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly be rewarded.” [Mark 9:41]
It should immediately be said that this is not a statement validating service or kind deeds as a way to heaven. There is one way and one way alone to achieve eternity with the Lord and that is through receiving Christ as Savior of your soul and Lord of your life. His death on the cross paid your sin debt making you free of everything that has separated you from Almighty God. Having said that, I believe this verse speaks of the natural inclination that becomes ours once we start to live for God. Whereas before conversion we were more self-driven, now we are beginning to become more others-driven. Regardless of our individual situations, things could always be worse so we need to look outward rather than inward when it comes to need. God has promised to meet each and every need we will ever have, so in response to that great promise we should be inclined to reach out to others less fortunate to bring them into God’s presence by our association to Him as His child. Would people know we were a child of God simply by our lives; doing an act of kindness while expecting nothing in return is a good start? True love never seeks a return. Love in return should come as a natural outpouring from the heart of the recipient. It cannot be forced or extracted in any way. It must be given, just as Christ willingly gave at Calvary. I do not know for sure what the reward is that Christ speaks of in this verse; however, our reward should be simply knowing that we are forever loved and forever free of our sins and have a place in God’s heaven because of our decision to believe and receive that which has so freely been offered to us.
Those less fortunate are not so in a physical or material sense alone, but rather many times in a spiritual sense. They are spiritually bankrupt; their compass is broken making them unable to find their way. God desires believers in Christ to seek out the ones who are in need for they do not know the true source for all they will ever need is within their very grasp, yet unseen by them. We must be the ones to be the light that illumines the landscape surrounding them so that they might catch a glimpse of heaven and thus be drawn into the waiting arms of the Savior. Submit to the will of God and watch what happens.
WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!
