OCTOBER 12 - ETERNAL REWARD
READ 2 Corinthians 5
We should live for the eternal rather than the temporal, and we will be rewarded accordingly.
INSIGHT
One of the marks of maturity is the ability to put off immediate reward for the sake of a future goal. Likewise, the willingness to put off temporal reward for the sake of eternal reward is a good mark of Christian maturity. The Scriptures teach that someday we must all appear before the bema seat of Christ. In ancient Greece, the bema was the grandstand where judges gave out honors to the winners of athletic competitions. Thus, it is before the divine "bema" that we will all appear. If we compete according to the eternal rules, we will gain the honor of reward from the eternal Judge. As Paul wrote, we must set our minds "on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2).
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord as you "set your mind on things above":
I lift my eyes to you,
The one enthroned in heaven.
Like a servant’s eyes on his master’s hand,
Like a servant girl’s eyes on her mistress’s hand,
So our eyes are on the Lord our God
until he shows us favor (Psalm 123:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him, pray this confession to the Lord:
And I said: My God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face toward you, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our heads and our guilt is as high as the heavens (Ezra 9:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Then pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil (2 Corinthians 5:9-10).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Love the Lord, all his faithful ones.
The Lord protects the loyal,
But fully repays the arrogant.
Be strong, and let your heart be courageous,
All you who put your hope in the Lord
(Psalm 31:23-24).
We should live for the eternal rather than the temporal, and we will be rewarded accordingly.
INSIGHT
One of the marks of maturity is the ability to put off immediate reward for the sake of a future goal. Likewise, the willingness to put off temporal reward for the sake of eternal reward is a good mark of Christian maturity. The Scriptures teach that someday we must all appear before the bema seat of Christ. In ancient Greece, the bema was the grandstand where judges gave out honors to the winners of athletic competitions. Thus, it is before the divine "bema" that we will all appear. If we compete according to the eternal rules, we will gain the honor of reward from the eternal Judge. As Paul wrote, we must set our minds "on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2).
PRAYER
Offer your praise to the Lord as you "set your mind on things above":
I lift my eyes to you,
The one enthroned in heaven.
Like a servant’s eyes on his master’s hand,
Like a servant girl’s eyes on her mistress’s hand,
So our eyes are on the Lord our God
until he shows us favor (Psalm 123:1-2).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him, pray this confession to the Lord:
And I said: My God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face toward you, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our heads and our guilt is as high as the heavens (Ezra 9:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Then pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil (2 Corinthians 5:9-10).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
- Greater commitment to Him
- The work of specific Christian ministries
- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
Love the Lord, all his faithful ones.
The Lord protects the loyal,
But fully repays the arrogant.
Be strong, and let your heart be courageous,
All you who put your hope in the Lord
(Psalm 31:23-24).
A Dogwood Church Discipleship Ministry Resource. © Walk Thru the Bible 2025.