Spiritual Vigilance

Focus: 2 John 1:8 KJV: Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

Believers must practice spiritual vigilance and self-examination. It is entirely possible to start a spiritual journey strong, build a great legacy for God, and then catastrophically lose or compromise the fruit of that hard work right at the end through laziness, false doctrine, or sin. We must endure until the very finish line to claim our full reward.

Joash started out with a beautiful, godly legacy. Guided by the high priest Jehoiada, he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord for decades. He single-handedly organized a national restoration of the temple, wiped out widespread idolatry, and built a magnificent spiritual foundation. Tragically, once Jehoiada died, Joash stopped looking to himself. He fell under the influence of wicked princes, abandoned the temple he spent his life rebuilding, and fell deep into idolatry. He even murdered the high priest's son who came to warn him. Because he did not finish well, his servants assassinated him in his own bed, and he was denied a burial in the royal tombs, completely losing his legacy and full honor.

A strong start never guarantees a faithful finish. The enemy doesn't care how many years you served God faithfully; he wants to slide you into compromise right at the end. We must stay spiritually alert, guard our hearts daily, and refuse to relax our standards so that we don't disqualify ourselves from the full reward waiting for us.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, I thank you for the opportunity to be of service unto you in my generation and for the way you have held me up thus far. Please keep me standing, and never to compromise till I meet with you in glory. Do not let the enemy triumph over me in any way. Keep me strong and steady so that I may gain all my righteous reward fully in the end, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Please share. God bless you.