Obedience Pays

Image by author, Copyright 2011, Peter P. Macinta

It was early morning when I dropped my wife, Dorcas, off at work. About 25 feet (7.6 meters) ahead I saw a stray shopping cart near the edge of the parking lot. It belonged to one of three stores in that shopping plaza, stores that had employees paid to return them to the store.

God said return it to the store. Well, I did not put it there and it would take a bit to get it onto another lot and roll it up to store. Who’s going to pay me for my time?

But I felt God telling me to do it and after walking over forty years with Him by now I should be a big boy, do not talk back and just do what He says. So I got out of the car, shut its doors, and started heading over to the cart.

Then, I saw it–pliers, channel locks I guess they are called. No other car was around. Whoever had used them was long gone since it was early morning. The Lord said that was my pay. I sort of needed it too, since I cannot locate the one I had.

Well I put the cart back. Then, I saw two others, and in the process of putting them back I found eleven cents. Again, no soul around and it was still early morning. I now felt like God was giving me a tip.

I guess between that and the pliers I was paid perhaps fifteen or so dollars. Not bad for three shopping carts in less than fifteen minutes.

A few weeks later I drove behind the old Metro building on the way out, as is my habit. I then spied something bright yellow. I pulled the car over, got out, and found it was a 25 foot (7.6 meter) measuring tape. Again, no one was around. I figured that too was mine, but God said, “Put it back son.”

Well, there was ongoing construction at the time. There were storage containers back there and no doubt construction workers came and went.

I picked the tape up again. “Put it back son, you already have two big ones home,” He said. I said I will but I put it up on an old ramp so it would not be ran over.

Though I could not keep the tape, I felt that I was paid both times, for it is written (Proverbs 11:18b) “… to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.”

The first time I got sort of a monetary reward, along with the spiritual. Even though I got pliers out of the first instance, I like the second instance somewhat better, though I could not keep the tape. Years ago I would disobey God quite a bit. It feels mighty good to obey. I surrendered to Christ in 1970 and I found out it might be hard to obey at times, but when you do, the Holy Spirit sort of commends your heart and conscience. The more one practices obedience, the more one does it.

That is part of loving God. It’s a real relief when you let Christ smack dab inside of you to be King of your life and permit the Son to help you obey your heavenly Father. And there are many rewards in the life to come, Christ Himself being the Chief Reward.

Notes:

This article will be part of my Bible GemLight series as Jade003.

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