YOUR GREAT REWARD by David Wilkerson | World Challenge

Many voices in the world today are analyzing why people are so perplexed and troubled. But they amount to no more than a Babel of confusing reasons. The fact is, no true lover of Jesus Christ is going to be troubled by the potential loss of material things. Rather, he is going to be plagued by troubles in the spiritual realm!

Paul knew the true cause of our perplexities and distresses and he addresses the subject in Romans 7:15-19: "For that which I do I allow (understand) not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. . . . For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do" (Romans 7:15, 19).

The apostle is saying, "The very thing I don't want to do, I end up doing. But the one thing I would love to do, in obedience to God, I can't find in myself to accomplish!"

Paul is speaking here for thousands of sincere believers. They are troubled because they simply cannot find victory over sin. They want to do right—to live holy and pure before the Lord—and they hate the sin that so easily tempts them and disrupts their communion with Christ. Yet they keep turning back to it!

They end up distressed, troubled and weary, crying, "Oh, wretched man that I am! I don't want to do this anymore. But I seem helpless to resist it! Why am I so weak? And how long do I have to endure this struggle? Will I go through my whole life crying a river of tears, confessing and repenting and then going back to my sin?"

Abraham asked a similar question of the Lord when he saw no release from the dilemma he was in. God's answer was, "I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward" (Genesis 15:1). The Lord told him, "Abraham, I'm going to give you Myself and that's all. I will be your defender and your great reward because I am who I am. You need never fear another enemy as long as you live, because I will be God to you!"

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