A Prophet’s Reward
Posted on July 29th, 2024 by RedeemedMatthew 10:40 - 41
40 “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
41 Whoever welcomes God's messenger because he is God's messenger, will share in his reward. And whoever welcomes a good man because he is good, will share in his reward.
The Lord knew that the message most times will be resisted even in most unlikely places, and he placed a condition that whoever would believe will share in thesame reward the messenger carries. God promised to reward those who accept the message with thesame reward he gives to the messengers.
The above scriptures demonstrate clearly that God is intentional about the message being freely received and not forced on any, and he attached thesame reward to both the messengers and the receivers. We therefore get to receive what we choose.
Another place this was clearly revealed was the account of Elijah and the woman of Zarephath. God told Elijah to go to Zarephath for He has prepared someone to take care of him throughout the famine.
1 Kings 17 : 9 - 10
9 “Now go to the town of Zarephath, near Sidon, and stay there. I have commanded a widow who lives there to feed you.”
10 So Elijah went to Zarephath, and as he came to the gate of the town, he saw a widow gathering firewood. “Please bring me a drink of water,” he said to her.
Before now, God had made provisions for Elijah through the Raven that brought bread and protein to him; morning and evening, the Raven did not fail to bring food to Elijah. This provision could have gone on for as long as the famine lasted, for nothing is impossible with God, but God saw a woman and her son in need. They were preparing to eat their last meal and starve to death. The God who is father to the fatherless and husband to the widow stepped in. When all hope is lost, when we have reached our limits, He takes over.
God for her sake stopped the raven from bringing food to Elijah, dried the brook and sent Elijah to Zarephath.
For the woman to partake of Elijah’s supernatural provisions, she has to agree with God. God don’t see as men see, neither does He need anyone’s permission to do what He planned to do. He will do what He will, whether we agree or not.
Elijah stood at the gate to the city, just when the woman was collecting sticks to make her last meal. Elijah standing at the city gate, called out to her.
The fact that it was at the gate he called out to her was very key. We may go in or out through a gate. If she opened the gate to him he would enter the city, for she was the one God sent her to in the city. God usually don’t work with crowds, so that we won’t say our might or strength worked it for us, for His glory he will share with none. Many are dead (either spiritual or physically, it doesn’t matter) because they would not give God His glory, they went after the glory that belongs only to God.
Thankfully, the woman at Zarephath opened the gate to Elijah by her obedience to give him a drink and a meal. By her obedience to God, through obeying Elijah - for Elijah was sent by God (Matt 10: 40), she qualified to partake of the supernatural provision of God on Elijah’s life. Her meal never ran out all throughout the period of the famine. She and her son had more than enough and were provided for by God’s supernatural provision in the life of Elijah. She was now connected to the Source through her connection to the Altar (the one serving at the Altar).
The Altar connection is powerful, supernatural and is beyond human’s natural reasoning and comprehension. God becomes our shield and our reward. He is our Shepherd, and so we will have all that we need.
The Shepherd provides for, protects, guides and leads his sheep. Making the Lord our Shepherd means, He provides for all our needs, spiritually and physically.
You have access to the true riches. There are riches that runs out, and there are those that transcends this world. These are the kind of provisions God gives to those with the Altar connection. It’s also called the blessings of the Lord that makes rich and add no sorrow.
Craftiness will not give you this blessings but rather, a heart that fears and reverence God is what gives you access to this blessings. A lot of us are too crafty and wicked for our own good. God cannot be mocked, whatever we have sowed we will also reap.
God’s gifts are without repentance. God’s blessings most times are interwoven with and in our obedience. Most times we are not willing to cooperate with God’s Spirit because we don’t agree with His ways. We would rather reason it out, or even slander others with the intention to destroy if it doesn’t fit into our way of thinking.
Jesus was once told to do the-same miracles they hear him did in other places if He was who he claimed to be.
Scriptures told us that because of their way of thinking, and their unbelief they didn’t get to see the blessings of God. They were the ones that missed out. He simply went elsewhere and did God’s work there.
Matthew 13:54-58 NKJV
[54] When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? [55] Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? [56] And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?" [57] So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house." [58] Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Jesus came to his own but they would have none of Him. They felt they knew Jesus and that presumed knowledge of him limited their faith in him and this had a corresponding limiting effect on their receiving from him. Jesus could not do much there because of their unbelief.
We must believe in the Lord and His way of doing things if we will receive from Him.
Scriptures tells us that the blessings is commanded in a place called there. There is a place of harmony, unity and togetherness. Scriptures tells us that the LORD command His blessings on his people in such a place; for there the Presence of God abound.
Psalm 133:1-3 GNT
How wonderful it is, how pleasant, for God's people to live together in harmony! [2] It is like the precious anointing oil running down from Aaron's head and beard, down to the collar of his robes. [3] It is like the dew on Mount Hermon, falling on the hills of Zion. That is where the LORD has promised his blessing- life that never ends.
Living together in harmony is liken to the anointing oil, poured on Aaron, running down his head, down to his robe. The anointing oil, symbolic of the Spirit of the Lord, empowers one’s life, and breaks the yoke.
It is also liken to the dew on Mount Hermon, falling on the hills of Zion; this is depicting a peaceful place, for only in such places or lives God’s Presence abound, and where the Presence of the LORD is there is liberty, and the LORD promised to command his blessings, including a never ending life on them that dwell there.
God bless.
Peace.
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