Here's your daily devotional!

If you wish to receive these free devotionals every weekday by E-mail, click the button below. Note: you'll have to log in or create your membership account first. Membership in the League is free. Join now!

Sign up to receive the Daily Devotional

“Serving the Lord is the Ultimate Reward”

Thoughts for Today:

So what was Paul's reward? Was it the Lord's blessing upon his work? What about an "at-a-boy" of approval from heaven? Perhaps it was the certainty that at the end of his life he would be given praise for faithful service? Paul had no doubt he would receive rewards (2 Timothy 4:8: "Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.") But, what drove him to "offer the Gospel free of charge"? Paul's answer: A clear conscience.

In many ways, Paul was in a "no win" situation. Some said he turned down compensation because he knew he wasn't really a "true" Apostle. On the other hand, if he accepted money for his personal support, then the others would consider him to be greedy and materialistic. Paul's tactic to deal with these criticisms was to remain financially independent. Paul recognized that serving the Lord had been and always would be his reward -- even if he had to engage in manual labor to do so.

Questions to Ponder:

Do you equate quality with cost? In other words, the more something costs the greater its value? While in many cases this may be true in the material world, the same isn't true for the Lord's blessing. His grace is unearned and unwarranted. He alone has paid the price. Take a moment now to adjust your thinking to the Lord's. What is He asking of you? Will you obey?

View latest devotional

Sign up to receive the Daily Devotional

There's nothing like God's Word to create purpose in your life that lasts the entire day and beyond. We encourage you to Read, Carry and Share the Word of God. Pocket Devotions are sent by E-mail every weekday (Monday to Friday). On weekends we encourage you to be creative and study on your own in any area of Scripture where God leads you.

You can start from Day 1 at any time. Messages are sent automatically. Subscribe now! You may unsubscribe at any time.

About the author

Pocket Devotions are written by Mike Brooks. A retired businessman, he is Moderator of South Shores church, leads the Deacon Board, serves on the finance committee, and he teaches a Men's Bible study and the Men's Ministry. Mike has a passion for evangelical missions. He is the husband of Sherry; the father of Ryan, Natalie, Krissy, Rebecca, and Amanda; the father-in-law of Ariel; and the grandfather of Conner and Christian.