Because He was willing to humble Himself under the mighty hand of God, the Lord Jesus Christ has been exalted beyond our comprehension.

If we choose to exalt ourselves in this life, we shall be brought low when the Lord returns. But if we are willing to take the lowly place today, winning others to righteous behavior by our example of good works, then, when the Lord returns, we will be exalted to a degree no emperor on the earth has ever approached or even imagined.

Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. (Daniel 12:3—NIV)

Opportunities for Service

And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Luke 22:29,30—NIV)

One of the rewards the Lord will bring with Him is opportunities for service in the ages to come.

So often Heaven is pictured as the great retirement home in the sky. When we are tired or sick the idea of doing nothing more than lying on a couch in our mansion with no responsibilities is very appealing. But when we are well and full of energy we want something to do.

For many of us, the idea of doing nothing for eternity is hardly a promise of joy.

No, we want a task or responsibility to put our hand to that will result in something of value for those we love.

But work that is not founded in Christ will produce only temporary good. The results will not bring the lasting satisfaction we hope for—especially if we have broken God's laws or harmed other people in our rush toward achievement.

One of the curses of an industrial society is the amount of time we spend on matters of no lasting value. Many of us work so hard we lose our family or bring on a heart attack or stroke. This is hardly sensible and God does not reward us for killing ourselves to please the gods of our culture.

How many people in the Western nations are too busy to spend time in prayer and meditating in the Scriptures? They may respond that they are "making a living." This may be true. But are they praying that God will give them time to spend with Him in prayer and studying His Word? Probably not! But this is a good prayer for all of us.

To go through life busily taking care of the incessant demands and enticements of a wealthy society is to miss everything of value. When the Lord returns He will say, "You did not have time for Me and now I do not have time for you. Go busy yourself in the outer darkness." What we sow we shall reap in the Day of the Lord!

But to those who have taken the time to wait patiently on the Lord, even though they are managing to survive in a pressured, whirlwind society, there shall be given for eternity delightful opportunities to serve God and people in every beneficial way imaginable.

To be continued.