Lord God,
I’ve often believed the lie that, other than relief from suffering in the end, there is no reward for this awful pain. That there’s nothing good I can do in this world, that my life can’t have good purpose if I’m suffering. I’ve often felt like there can’t be any blessing of “God’s rewards” in this suffering, even if it’s a permanent part of my life story on earth.
But the truth is…You give Your abundant rewards to believers as we walk through suffering on earth. Within it. And the rewards of Your grace and love are all stacking up in this suffering, all bringing about our final reward in glory. Why?
Because risen and reigning Lord Jesus, You are our reward, and Your rewards are now ours, because we are united with You now, as we suffer. Our earthly lives have incredible purpose, by Your hands pierced for us. As You now suffer with us.
Please remind us of Your words to us. For You are at work in our suffering as we hold to Your promises and the hope You’ve given to us. Help us to believe the truth anew as we sing Your love for us and our love for You. All by Your grace, we praise and adore Your holy name, Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
It tells of One whose loving heart
Can feel my deepest woe,
Who in each sorrow bears a part,
That none can bear below.
(“Oh, How I Love Jesus,” Whitfield, F., p.d.)
As we share in the sufferings of Christ, God is giving us REWARDS NOW as He helps us seek His Word, becoming more like Jesus, knowing, worshiping, loving Him
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward (Ps. 19:9-11 ESV).
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God (Eph. 2:8 ESV).
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him (Heb. 11:6 ESV).
There is a name I love to hear,
I love to sing its worth;
It sounds like music in my ear,
The sweetest name on earth.
O how I love Jesus,
O how I love Jesus,
O how I love Jesus,
Because He first loved me!
GOD’S REWARDS in being loved and empowered by Jesus for good works, in His presence, as we suffer
Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ (Col. 3:24 ESV).
It tells me of a Savior’s love,
Who died to set me free;
It tells me of His precious blood,
The sinner’s perfect plea.
As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us (Ps. 103:12 ESV).
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Ps. 16:11 ESV).
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up (Gal. 6:9 ESV).
GOD’S REWARDS as we suffer, loving Jesus and others, His keeping us from turning away from Jesus
For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do (Heb. 6:10 ESV)
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:14 ESV).
It tells me what my Father has
In store for ev’ry day,
And though I tread a gloomy path,
Yields sunshine all the way.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Rom. 8:18 ESV).
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor. 2:9 ESV).
REWARD of Jesus in glory, His sure promise, becoming our sure hope in suffering now
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6 ESV).
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ (Col. 3:23-24 ESV).
For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done (Mt. 16:27 ESV).
And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory (1 Pet. 5:4 ESV).
His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Mt. 25:21 ESV).
Material adapted from Singing the Gospel to Job: Finding Hope in Suffering, Lauri A. Hogle, © 2022
A playlist gift to sing of God’s rewards in our suffering
Who are we singing to this week, sister in Christ? About what? God’s rewards to us as those united with Christ, as we suffer with Him now. Our reward…of Jesus! Our reward in eternity, when suffering completely ends forever.
And in this very act, I’m praying it helps us both to take hold of God’s rewards to us in each day of suffering we’re enduring or will endure, so we both might remain steadfast, all by His powerful grace and ongoing reward to us, as His beloved.
If this would encourage you too, sign up below, and the music will come to your email as we both sing Christ’s hope into our suffering.
To read more of Lauri’s writing, you can use her devotional Bible study lament prayer journals: Praying God’s Promises Into Suffering, or Near to God: A Devotional Bible Study of God’s Character as We Suffer, or Singing the Gospel to Job: Finding Hope in Suffering. In the Valleys of God’s Love is written for children aged 3-8, a perfect read for grandparents, parents, and children to share together, preparing them for suffering to come.
For Scripture devotionals, calming hymns, and encouragement from Lauri, click here for YouTube podcast
For those who suffer with chronic illness, pain, cancer, here is a music therapy-inspired podcast of hymns and Scriptures to soothe our symptoms
