Harvest Daily 03/18/05

March 18
Service Award

Each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it . . . - 1 Corinthians 3:13

As believers, we will one day stand before Christ and our earthly works will be judged:

No one can lay any foundation other than the one that is already laid, which is Jesus Christ.  If any man builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will bring it to light, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test the quality of every person's work.  If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  If it is burned up, he will suffer loss.  He himself will be saved, but only as one escaping the flames. (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)

This story is not about whether you are going to heaven.  It is about what you will have to show for your life on this earth after you get there.  God will evaluate all of your accomplishments on that day.  The wood, the hay, and the straw Jesus speaks of here do not symbolize gross sin as much as they represent putting more importance on the passing things of this world than on the eternal things of God.  This is not a judgment for sin.  It's a judgment of time that was spent in a worthless way.  You had more passion or more excitement for your career, for a sport, or for clothes than you had for the things of God.  It's wood.  It's hay.  It's straw.  It will all be burned up and it will come to nothing.  Wasted hours.  Wasted days.  Wasted years.

But God sees, hears, and knows everything about you, and as you faithfully serve Him, one day in heaven He will reward you openly.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright (c) 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.