My Reward | Daily Devotional 1657

Stephanie Alessi Muina 0:00

You're listening to the My Morning Devotional Podcast, episode 1657. Today's Devo is called My Reward.

VoiceOver 0:09

Hey there, we're the Alessis, a ministry family working together in our church in Miami, Florida. And if you're like us, when days get busy, the to-do lists get longer, it can be hard to find devotional time. That's why every weekday we share a five-minute daily dose of heaven. This is the My Morning Devotional Podcast.

Stephanie Alessi Muina 0:31

Happy Tuesday, everybody. Stephanie here, and I am so excited to dive into our devos for this week. Again, if you would like to hear my conversation with Layla Nahavandi, check it out on our socials, but also subscribe to our Buy Me a Coffee. That's where you're going to get all of our exclusive content. If you love listening to us and you want more, go and subscribe and you'll get everything that you want and more. And my conversation with my friend Layla. Well, I'm going to dive into our Devo today. And I am reading out of the NIV version of Genesis 15, 1, which says, Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward. And I'm also reading from Psalm 73, 25 through 26, which says, Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Let me ask you guys a question this morning. If God never gave you another thing you asked for, would he still be enough? Listen, we love the blessings of God. I love the prayers, I love the open doors, I love the promotions, I love the opportunities, the financial breakthroughs. I love my healthy family. I love when things are going my way. But and there's nothing wrong with enjoying those things. God is a good father and he loves to bless us. But I just want to ask you this question. Have we become so focused on what God can give us that maybe we've forgotten that God himself is the greatest gift? And today I want to remind you, God is not just the giver of your reward, he alone is the reward. God doesn't just say, Abram, I'm going to give you a great reward. He says, I am your exceedingly great reward. And Abram was definitely looking for the reward, being a child. He wanted a son. He was waiting for the promised land. He was waiting for God to gift him that. But here's the beautiful thing. He already has the greatest thing you could ever receive, which is the presence of God. And I think we need that reminder sometimes because we are so quick to say, God, when are you going to answer this prayer? When are you going to open this door? When is my season going to change? When am I going to get that relationship? When am I going to get that marriage? When am I going to be accepted into that college? Or when is that clear path going to make its way known to me? Because truthfully, in our minds, we think when that thing comes our way, then finally we'll get the fulfillment we've been waiting for. But here's the truth: the blessing is not the prize. The blessing is Jesus. And you already have him. The Bible says, whether I have everything or whether I have nothing, I practice being content because Jesus can bring true contentment. Everything else in this world that we are offered is temporary. Here today, it's gone tomorrow. And if our joy is always attached to the next thing, we'll spend our entire lives chasing satisfaction instead of living in it. Have you guys ever thought that Jesus wants you to live a fulfilled, joyful life? He delights in you. He wants you to be happy. You know, I have two, I have three children now. Oh my gosh, I have three kids, Gianna, Matthew, and Joshua. And there was one night that my kids wanted to have a movie night, and I was so excited to prepare this movie night for them. We made popcorn. We made a palette in front of the TV, and we got in our PJs, and we all laid down and they were so happy. And I went to go turn on the movie, and I think I turned on Ratatouille. And Matthew did not want to watch Ratatouille. And Matthew had a whole tantrum because he didn't want to watch Ratatouille. Please don't judge me that my child had a tantrum over a movie. Okay. Children, two-year-olds, they don't have their priority straight. So they throw tantrums over those little things. And I'm looking at Matthew like, I made the popcorn. I made the palette. We're together as a family. And you're getting all mad and throwing a tantrum because you this isn't the movie that you want to watch. And it made me think, my gosh, how many times have I missed out on simply enjoying the presence of God all because I didn't get one small thing my way? How many times have I forgotten that the greatest gift in my life is Jesus alone? All because I didn't get another gift that I wanted. Because your greatest treasure isn't something that you're waiting to receive. It's someone that you already have. And that someone is Jesus. So how do you keep Jesus your reward today? Let's go through it. Number one, seek his presence and not just his presence, not just the gifts that he can give you. Think about your prayer life. Think about how you're going to pray this morning. Is every conversation and prayer time that you have with God a list of things that you want? Or are you being grateful for who God is? Are you thanking him for how loving he is, for how merciful he is, for how faithful he is? Like that's old Stevie Wonder song, I just called to say I love you. Is your prayer life doing that? Are you just praying and saying, God, I love you for who you are? Every once in a while, it's good to just pause on the request to God. And it's good to just simply be thankful for who He is. Number two, practice gratitude before asking for more. I can guarantee you there's something that you have in your life right now that God has already given you. Maybe it's your sisters, maybe it's your brothers, maybe it's the job that you have or the workplace that you get to go to. It's the car that you drive, the food that you ate this morning. Whatever it is, God gave you something to enjoy. So let's just thank him for that already. Lord, before I ask you for another thing, I thank you for what you're already given me. And I challenge you to look at the simple things. Thank you, God, for giving me a sunny day. It stopped raining. Thank you, God, for giving me the rain. Now the plants are watered. Thank you, God, for my car. Thank you, God, for the gas that's filling my car. Thank you, God, for the beautiful morning I had. Thank you for my warm cup of coffee that I enjoyed today. Sometimes when you find the gratitude for those small things, God will just, you'll find so much joy in your life in the things that God has already given you. And then number three, don't let the gift replace the giver. Ask yourself this question: Is this blessing bringing me closer to Jesus? Or is it slowly taking his place in my heart? Listen, nothing compares to Jesus. Nothing. No gift, no opportunity, no promotion, nothing compares to the goodness that is Jesus. And today, rest in that. Rest in the fact that you have the greatest gift that this world can ever give you, which is Jesus Christ. You walk with him, you talk with him, he calls you his friend, and you get to pray to him. So today, remember, your reward is not found in material things. It's not even found in the gifts that God gives you. Your reward, your portion is Jesus Christ. And he alone will fulfill you in every aspect. Let's pray. Dear God, we thank you that you don't leave us unfulfilled, but you fill us up to the very brim. In fact, you leave us overflowing with joy, with peace, with contentment. All because we have you. We don't have to go chasing after the blessings. We don't have to go chasing after the gifts or the opportunities. Because, Lord, we have you. And if you're at the foundation of our hearts, then everything else falls into place. So, Lord, be our foundation. Be everything that I need in my life, God. Be my number one and let nothing take your place. And in Jesus' name we pray, Amen and Amen.

VoiceOver 9:47

So there you have it, your five minute daily dose of heaven. Thank you so much for tuning in today. We pray these devotionals empower you to take on your day. If you found value in this devotional, share it with a friend. Leave a comment or review for us on the app you're using right now. Until tomorrow, we pray that your latte is strong, but your love for Jesus is stronger.