Award Day!

Those of you who are students, as you approach the end of this school year, you may be anticipating special AWARDS assemblies. The AWARDS may be for academics, attendance, citizenship, inspiration, leadership, special achievement, sports, etc.

For those of you who work out in this world, you too may anticipate AWARD presentations. These AWARDS may be for innovation, productivity, service, sales records, etc.

Those of you who remain busy behind the scenes or at home may anticipate continued thanks and words of appreciation for service rendered on a regular basis. (I pray you are not being taken for granted.)

These AWARDS may come in the form of certificates, scholarships, trophies, bonuses, gift certificates, promotions, verbal Thank You's, special cards, time off to relax while others do your usual tasks, dinner out, or some other form of acknowledgment for what you do.

Such recognition and the accolades that accompany it are a great encouragement to those who receive them. The acknowledgement also serves to motivate others to press on to achieve the same level of performance and success. As we applaud others and even agree they rightly deserve such recognition, we may often wish we were the one up there getting it all.

Each of the above mentioned AWARDS can be significant honors to the recipient. You may already have AWARDS of great significance to you. Behind my desk I have four awards I have kept displayed for a number of years. Each of these holds great significance to me. The top one is the "Gotcha Award" plaque given to me by my wife in 1979. The second is a beautifully engraved plaque of appreciation which bears the names of students I taught in a Christian School. The third is a framed poem written by a student in another Christian School and dedicated to me and her fellow students. And the fourth is a certificate presented to me in 1990 by the congregation with which I presently work.

Still, all this recognition may be had with the most important AWARD missed. Paul, in writing to Timothy, stated. . .

"(7) I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (8) Henceforth there is laid up for me THE CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH THE LORD, the righteous judge, WILL AWARD to me ON THAT DAY, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing." ( 2 Timothy 4:7-8 ESV)

That is an AWARDS ASSEMBLY I don't want to miss. How about you? And it is not just for one individual on the stage. Paul stated the presentation would be made "TO ALL WHO HAVE LOVED" OUR LORD'S "APPEARING."

Have a great day IN ANTICIPATION OF GOD'S AWARD DAY!
Carl

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[This focus was originally sent 05/12/1999 (Edited some with passage changed to ESV)]

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