My Scripture reading this morning was in Matthew 6. In this chapter Jesus talks about giving, praying, and fasting. He even gives a little sample that we can follow. But that’s not what caught my attention this morning. This is what caught my eye:

Give your gifts in private, and your Father…will reward you.
Pray to your Father in private. Then your Father…will reward you.
Fast…in private. And your Father…will reward you.
Matthew 6:4,6,18; NLT

The obvious message here is that we need to do these things in private instead of doing them to be seeing by others…to gain the approval of God instead of men. But that’s still not what caught my attention. What struck me this morning is the last part of each of these verses—”The your Father will reward you.”

Great…but what’s the reward? Heaven? Satisfaction? A Good Feeling?

I don’t think it’s any of those things. I think the reward ties back to the idea of spending time with God “in private”…one one one…mano y mano. GOD is the reward. The reward is getting to know God and Him getting to know us. Is there any better reward on heaven or on earth?

Is that our motivation for spending time alone with God? Or are we checking a box? If I’m honest the motive a strive for is the former, but sometimes it ends up being the latter.

But I do know this….when my motive is right I do get the reward of knowing Him.