You Are His Reward

“See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him” (Isa. 40:10, NIV).

Recently, we talked about the exquisite comfort to be found in the heart knowledge of Jesus’ unlimited power, juxtaposed with the revelation of His infinite tenderness towards us. We reflected on the luxurious reassurance that envelopes our souls as we nestle into our Almighty, Good Shepherd’s bosom.

Today, we are going to gaze with our spiritual eyes at Jesus carrying His lambs close to His heart. We are going to explore how this picture ties into the concept of His reward, as we reflect on the Scripture above.

As you will notice, this verse comes out of the same chapter of Isaiah that we have been examining. In fact, this is the preceding verse to one that we read yesterday. Let’s look at them together:

“See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young” (vv. 10-11).

Do you see the connection? Holy Spirit even invites us, twice, to “See!” He beckons us to lean in and contemplate this scene. Jesus… with His reward accompanying Him. And who is this reward? His cherished flock. His beloved lambs. You and I! We are His reward!

When our Savior endured unspeakably anguished torture on the cross, He had one thing in mind. You and me. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that He had His eyes set on the joy before Him. We were that joy. You were. You were, and are, His recompense, the reward of His suffering. You were all that He wanted. In His heart, in His estimation, in His value system, you were exceedingly worth every bit of the excruciating pain.

He gave it all. He withheld nothing. Do you “see?” He has invested absolutely everything in you. There exists no higher price than the one He paid to make you His. Jesus didn’t lay down His life because He felt sorry for you. He didn’t partake of the agony of the damned out of some sense of divine duty. No, precious child. He died because that’s how much He wanted you in His arms. That’s how much He wanted to gather you close and carry you next to His heart.

And now you are His. Do you see the exultant happiness in His face, to have attained the joy set before Him? Do you see the pleasure sparkling in His mirthful eyes, to hold you in His embrace? Do you hear the whisper of His heart? “My love, My treasured one, you are surpassingly worth it all…”

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep… And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:11,28, NKJV).

“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me…” (Rev. 22:12, NIV).

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What has Jesus revealed to you about being your Good Shepherd?