This week, several people have spoken with Glenn or me about the devastating consequences of adultery; in some cases about how to save marriages and, sadly, in some, about bridges to happiness permanently burned by unfaithfulness. These words, from Proverb 6, are extremely relevant to our homes today. I’ve borrowed the comments that follow this passage from Glenn. He’s right and these truths need to keep being said over and over again.

My son, keep your father’s command,

And do not forsake the law of your mother.

Bind them continually upon your heart;

Tie them around your neck.

When you roam, they will lead you;

When you sleep, they will keep you;

And when you awake, they will speak with you.

For the commandment is a lamp,

And the law a light;

Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,

To keep you from the evil woman,

From the flattering tongue of a seductress.

Do not lust after her beauty in your heart,

Nor let her allure you with her eyelids.

For by means of a harlot

A man is reduced to a crust of bread;

And an adulteress will prey upon his precious life.

Can a man take fire to his bosom,

And his clothes not be burned?

Can one walk on hot coals,

And his feet not be seared?

So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;

Whoever touches her shall not be innocent.

People do not despise a thief

If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving.

Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold;

He may have to give up all the substance of his house.

Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding;

He who does so destroys his own soul.

Wounds and dishonor he will get,

And his reproach will not be wiped away.

For jealousy is a husband’s fury;

Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

He will accept no recompense,

Nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts.

Satan makes promises every day that he cannot and will not keep.  Today’s proverb involves a promise. It’s a promise of happiness that Satan gives a man in order to entice him to be with a woman in a way that breaks his marriage vow.  I’ve been around men who have forfeited their purity, faithfulness, and marriage to this enticement, and I have learned this: people don’t commit adultery for the wound and dishonor of it. They do it for the pleasure, and always, at the moment, they believe they’ll get away with it.  As they begin the process of adultery, they attach shame to themselves. It’s a shame that’s difficult to ever leave behind.

Consider three consequences in this Proverb that come to one who violates his or her marriage to be with another. Let’s hide these results in our hearts, so we can remember them if Satan pays us a visit with this temptation.

1. Verse 26:  “For by means of a harlot a man is reduced to a crust of bread.”

This can mean one of two things. Either he, like a piece of bread, can be seen, held, consumed and destroyed; or, the consequence of sinning with a prostitute is often that a man will lose everything and find himself begging for bread.

2.  Verse 29: “Whoever touches her shall not be innocent.” 

Why does this need to be said?  Because this is the result of a major lie of the devil which so many have believed.  At the moment, a man believes he can embrace this indulgence, but his secret usually doesn’t stay hidden for long.  One such man said to me, “I didn’t mean to…it just happened.”  Another said, “She meant nothing to me, but now my wife is divorcing me.  I’ve begged her not to leave me. If only I could turn the clock back, I would.”

It is often true that a person who breaks a marriage vow and is discovered will repent with tears, beg forgiveness, and then fully expect that things can immediately go back to normal in his or her marriage.  That’s a childish viewpoint.  Trust, which is the lifeblood of healthy marriage, is crushed in a moment and rebuilt only after much time has shown the guilty to be trustworthy again.

3.  Verse 33:  “And his reproach will not be wiped away.”

This doesn’t mean that God won’t forgive a penitent Christian who has repented. He will (1 Cor. 6:9-11).  It means that some sins are harder to forget. Perhaps this is what the Spirit meant when He inspired Paul to write, “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body” (1 Cor. 6:18).

Lust has contempt for loyalty, but good marriage cannot survive without loyalty.  Hold on to your integrity in all parts of your life, and remember that no man or woman who ever committed adultery did so while evading the all-seeing eyes of God.  Intimacy inside of God-approved marriage is a celebration and, in fact, a command (1 Cor. 7:1-2).  But the same act outside of marriage draws the anger of that same God.

“Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Heb. 13:4).

Cindy Colley

James 3:17 – But the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly, gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere.

Long ago, my husband, Mike, timidly approached my father to ask my hand in marriage. If you knew my father, you would agree this was one of my husband’s greatest acts of bravery. My father was a man of words and infamous for what we called, “Death by Lecture.

But, by some miracle, my father simply offered him brief and to-the-point advice. First, my father said, “Son, always put God first in your marriage.” Then my father continued with two other bits of advice never anticipated. He added, “Son, never let that girl get hungry, or you will be sorry. And always make sure she gets her sleep or nobody’s going to be happy. Yes, you may marry my daughter.”

For years, I wondered why my father, who could spend half an hour lecturing on the correct pronunciation of the word “window,” had offered such simple and unconventional advice. But I have come to realize the wisdom in those snippets of advice and now see them as an offering of love. You see, my dad adored my choice of a mate and desperately wanted us to have a blessed marriage. So, my father offered spot-on advice to my husband, who now will vouch to its truth.

Our Heavenly Father loves us deeply and knows us well. He, too, offers valuable and true advice for us to live a blessed life and all we need to do is open His Word. For us to have a peaceful life, God tells us to give a gentle answer when we are angry (Proverbs 15:1). For a life filled with blessings, God tells us to be generous with what we have (Luke 6:38). For a life of understanding and wisdom in all situations, God tells us to take the time to listen (James 1:19). To avoid falls, God advises us to rid our lives of pride (Proverbs 16:18). And if you desire more, just open God’s Word.

As we continue to celebrate this Father’s Day, may we give thanks for the wisdom of our loving Heavenly Father who loves us beyond words and desires us to have a blessed life.

We thank you for the wisdom found in Your Word, Father. We pray for hearts that willingly accept.

Blessings,
Rita Cochrane

Ruth 1: 20 “But she said to them, ‘Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.’”

The conversation on the radio turned comical as the D.J. asked if anyone had experienced the “Snickle.” It seems a snickle is a hollowed out sour pickle stuffed with a Snickers candy bar. Can you even imagine? My taste buds are in all sorts of confusion over the thought of this sweet and sour madness. I am confident I will never experience the snickle because in my mind, no sweetness from the candy could be tasted with it incased in a sour pickle.

But this snickle-phenomenon can happen in our lives. Do we fail to discover God’s sweetness among our bitter chapters?

Consider the story of Naomi and Ruth. Naomi’s life took unexpected turns, driving her to the brink of despair. She endured famine, life in a foreign country, and the loss of her husband and both sons. With daughters-in-law her only remaining family, Naomi found herself a grieving widow far from home.

Her options seemed but one: travel back to her homeland alone to reconnect with her past and start life over. Scripture leaves us no doubt Naomi’s vision of her future consisted solely of toil and trouble.

Unable to convince her daughter-in-law, Ruth, to stay behind, the two widows departed for Judah. Their pain and sorrow burdened each step far beyond the bulk of their belongings. Her bitter soul allowed Naomi no words of kindness or gratitude as the two women embarked on their journey.

Once home, Naomi’s hardened heart led her to take a new name, Mara, meaning bitterness. But scripture affords us a vision of a future Naomi nor Ruth could see. Never did they realize the first step of their dangerous journey home was in reality their first step into redemption. Naomi, like the snickle, allowed bitterness to overpower the sweetness of what would come. So, as they packed their bags and closed the door on their life in Moab, the blessings God had planned for them went undetected.

In a turn of events only our gracious God can orchestrate, the final line of Naomi and Ruth’s story could have been, “And they lived happily ever after,” for the Messiah, the Everlasting Joy of the World, would come through Ruth’s lineage. Could it get any more glorious than that?

Can we stop right here and celebrate our unconventional and mighty God? Life’s journey delivers frustrating detours, dangerous summits, and dark valleys. But remember, dear Sisters, blessings lie on other side of trials. May we never choose to be a snickle! Instead, may the sweetness of God’s plan in our lives outshine the bitterness of the moment.

Father God, help us taste and see that You are good and sweet.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane

I often hear someone say, “What can one person do? Can one person or a small group really make a difference?” I have said these very words myself.

Think about this from a scriptural standpoint. Some of the greatest events in the Bible were accomplished with small numbers. In some cases, there was resistance; but with God’s help, the minority won.

Moses is a perfect example of this. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in the burning bush, God called out to him. He explained to Moses that He had heard the people in Egypt crying for help. He wanted Moses to go to Egypt and lead His people out of bondage. Moses started making excuses. “Who am I? What should I say to people? When they ask me who sent me, what should I say? They won’t believe me. I can’t talk well.” Finally, Moses said, “send someone else.” By this time, the Lord was fed up with him. He had taken away every excuse; and, with this final excuse, God said, “I’ll send your brother, Aaron with you.”

Moses did go to Egypt; and he did, with God’s help and the help of Aaron, deliver the people out of Egypt. He led them through many trials and to the borders of the land of Canaan. One man, supported by another man, delivered around 600,000 people from a tyrant who had tortured them for years. They walked across a dry path in the middle of the Red Sea to safety and a life of freedom.

The people turned from God on more than one occasion, and God allowed heathen nations to take their animals and plunder their land. Such was the case with the Midianites and the Amalekites. The Israelites were desperate, and they begged God to relieve them of their enemies. God chose a man named Gideon, who, like Moses, didn’t think he could do what God was asking him to do. Three times he asked for a sign that it was really God asking him to destroy these two armies. When Gideon finally decided he was the chosen one to lead this army, he gathered an army of 32,000 men. God told him that was too many, and he sent home any that was afraid. Ten thousand men remained, but God said that this was still too many. Gideon arranged a stop at a water hole where he watched the men drank. Those that lapped water like a dog were chosen to go into battle. The number was 300.

A well-devised strategic plan sent these 300 men into the camp of the enemy, and defeat of the enemy was the result. Gideon with his 300, led by God, won the battle.

When the physical Christ came into the world, God had a plan for the Savior to be introduced to the world. A traveling preacher named John spread the news. He preached that the promised Messiah, the one the Jews had been searching for, had now come to save the world from their sins.

It wasn’t an easy road for John. Many didn’t believe him; and, in the end, he was beheaded for preaching the truth. But one man announced to the world that Jesus was there, alive, and they needed to make way for Him.

Jesus chose twelve men to accomplish a mission. It was to be their job to teach the gospel to the world. One man would defect, but the other eleven would stick with Him and do what they were chosen to do. Another man was added to this group to preach to the people on Pentecost. Later, the Lord would choose Paul, a Roman that persecuted the Christians, to join the other apostles in belief and purpose.

In years to come, eight men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit, recorded the words we know as the New Testament. These words guide in the commands for salvation, worship, and provide a view into eternal life.

Small numbers are a tribute to the Father. They attest to His power and His ability to turn things around. Each of us is one person, and who knows what we each can do with His help?

Sandra Oliver

Psalm 8:8 “The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas.” (NKJV)

Reading from the well-worn pages of my Bible, I am awe-struck over the words commissioned by the Holy Spirit so long ago. My faded hand-scribbled notations found squeezed within its margins bring me peace. And recently, I was reminded of the certainty of its truths when I ran across the story of Commodore Maury.

It was mid-nineteenth century and Commodore Matthew Fontaine Maury found himself in poor health. Destined to recuperate in bed yet anxious to return to his post with the Navy, left him restless. So, to help soothe his soul, his daughter sat beside him and read. One day, choosing the psalms for the peace they offered, she opened to Psalm 8. But before she could finish the short psalm, her father stopped her, requesting she reread a verse. So, she read again, “The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas.”

“Paths of the sea?” Wasn’t he a knowledgeable navigator of the waters and scripture? How is it he was unaware of this verse speaking to the sea having paths?

“’The paths of the sea, the paths of the sea.’ If God says, ‘the paths of the sea,’ they are there, and if I ever get out of this bed, I will find them,” came Commodore Maury’s reply.

Wholeheartedly believing if God’s Word says it, it must be true, the commodore resolved to locate these paths. He recovered, returned to sea, and charted God’s paths, known today as ocean currents. His very charts are utilized by ocean vessels today. His wholehearted belief in the authenticity of God’s Word meant Maury invested his life to the secrets revealed within its pages.

The Commodore’s story also reminds us of the complexity of God’s Word. Just as God’s mercies pour out upon us each day, His scripture holds newness for us each morning, providing fresh strength, healing, and guidance for whatever lies ahead. Commodore Maury must have wondered where Psalm 8:8 had been hiding all his life, but God revealed it to Him at just the opportune moment.

We, too, can rely on God’s truths. At just the right time and in a way only God can orchestrate, scripture delivers to us the truth, wisdom, and guidance we require for every season of life. When we allow God’s Word to guide the mission of our days, we will grow into a trust that dictates our steps and writes our story. May we live out the legacy of Commodore Maury: If God’s Word says it, it must be true.

Father God, may we never doubt the truth found in Your Words.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane

Audio study.

Dear daughters, in the flesh and in the faith,

I am very proud to call you daughters. I am unworthy in every way to call you daughters, as every single day I learn so much from your dedication to the large tasks that lie before us and from your intense desire to place children around the throne. Still, you ask me sometimes, and you ask other older sisters, things. In the way of Titus 2, you seek simple advice, even though you often have far more “on-point” intuition than do I about many things domestic and spiritual. There are some of you who are even extremely patient about my ignorance of this culture’s nuances for millennials and those women of generation z.

Your job is increasing in difficulty and intensity every day. It’s really sort of breathtaking— the way the devil has stepped up his game through cultural shifts even in the past decade. Drag queens are influential in community library story hours, in middle and even elementary schools. Media outlets that were historically child-friendly are now bent on anesthetizing children to any dangers of behavior that we used to call “sin.” Our United States legal system is often unfriendly to anyone who has a firm adherence to Biblical truth and morality, while accommodating those “victims” who commit crimes of negligence—even abuse— to family and to those who inflict the consequences of harmful behavior on society. Your children and my grandchildren are growing up in a world that’s very different in some key and harmful ways than was the world of our childhoods. Lots of sleepy Christians of the past half-dozen decades have paved a smooth road for the takeover of  relativism and apathy in the young adults of our churches. Sometimes, especially when I travel through our nation’s airports and metropolitan areas, the effects of the devil in this undressed, ungrateful, and uncaring world are shocking. To top it off, those talking loudest about loving Jesus, are often averse to his commandments and are mocking the New Testament church as it works in the world today.   

But yet you are still in your homes putting your arms and shields of love around the innocents. You are offering prayers multiple times a day in your homes and your children are hearing you say their names as you petition our almighty God for their spiritual safety. You are there placing limits of time and content on the media of the world, when your neighbors and, sometimes those who share your pews, are chuckling at your extremism.  You are more concerned about the spiritual feeding of your children than you are about what’s on their plates for dinner, in a culture that truly has that all backwards. You’re more careful about stopping the recycling of moral trash than you are about getting the plastic in the right bin. You are disciplining in the gentle, but firm, Biblical way that includes both corporal punishment and the withholding of instant gratification, rather than buying into the culture’s idea of “gentle parenting” that puts children in premature and dangerous positions of reign in the home. You are having daily Bible times in your homes and you’re diligent in memorization  and role-play and ethical direction and singing and having heart-to-hearts in those Bible times. You are determined to seek first the kingdom in your attendance patterns and in your entertainment choices. You are consistently showing your children the numerous opportunities to evangelize that are in their interactions with those outside of Jesus. You are teaching them boldness as you voice your concerns about the safety of the unborn in our country and, in the process, you are transferring respect for God, who breathes into every human, the breath of life and transfers His very image into men. They watch as you reach to those who are in need at every opportunity.  You dry tears that are cleansing little hearts of despair and discouragement. Your shoulder is the safe place for little people who cannot help but be afraid because the devil deals in fear and uncertainty. He wants your family to be stifled by fear.

And I cannot tell you how precious you are to this grandmother’s psyche. I am, in short, surviving right now on your spiritual fumes. You emit courage, determination and the love of the cross through your daily grinds. What seems so hard every day is a testimony to your faith. When you’re so very tired and, really, wondering if you can put one foot in front of the other, remember the value of just one of the souls living in your house. Your job is one that culminates in the retention of value that’s larger than any other pursuit in this world. You are the vehicle of saving grace to your children. That value makes you willing to make any sacrifice to see those souls safely to the eternal arms of Jesus. Some of you are giving one hundred percent to three or four or five or more souls that are depending on your fortitude. Some of you are doing all of this without the help of a faithful spouse and a few of you are doing it in spite of the oppositional work of husbands who once were committed to heaven for your children. You are the bravest of all,  and you do not even know what your example may mean to someone in your circle who is complacent or fearful. Someone who is tired and is on the verge of throwing in the towel may glance over at you and think “If she can do it, with all of the obstacles she faces,  surely I can persevere a while longer.” Sometimes that tired person is me.

May God render His mercies that are new with each sunrise, His providence that is just for His children, and His promise of your ultimate good through the seeking first of His kingdom. I’m in His debt for your presence through days that are long. You fill those days with hope!

Cindy Colley

The culture at large has become increasingly self-centered. This is no surprise, since from the beginning, Satan has succeeded in tempting mankind to serve self by doing what we think is best and doubting God’s Word (Genesis 3:1-7). Throughout history, Satan continued to corrupt what God had made good. At times, Israel doubted, “Will God really deliver us?” “We can just worship this golden calf as our god” (Exodus 32; Numbers 14). Just within the last few hundred years, especially with the acceptance of Darwinism, man has questioned whether the Genesis record can be trusted. “Did God really make the earth in six literal days?” Today, we live in the age of thinking, “Does God really exist?” and we are seeing the fruits of atheistic reasoning. Man is his own god (2 Timothy 3:1-5)!

Therefore, in such a humanistic culture, we see the serving of self in the world every day. The media parades the philosophy of self before our eyes every time we turn on the TV or computer. Ads are full of beautiful and handsome (but often indecently dressed) individuals persuading us that we need whatever product in our lives, and many times we think to ourselves, “I could look like that and be happy like them if I bought the product.” Technology today allows us instant self-gratification. We order things for next day delivery; we download and upload whatever we want; everything is at our fingertips. Slogans such as Cbelieve in yourself,” “do what makes you happy” and “have it your way” are common. Taking pictures of oneself has become a popular trend on social media (called selfies). What goes through our minds when we do and see these? “I’m not as pretty as she is,” “I hope so-and-so sees how beautiful/handsome I look in this picture,” “She/He is so thin; I wish I could look like that.”

The breakdown of the home is another result of the problem of selfism. Husbands and wives are so quick to divorce, not wanting to put the hard work and sacrifice into maintaining a loving marriage. Children (if they are not killed in the womb) are often left alone as parents/guardians work long hours. The list of examples could go on, but we can easily see how distracted we are with ourselves! Although some of these things are not necessarily sinful (like ordering express shipping), they do influence us, and we must ask the question whether the influence is for the better or the worse.

Some may ask, what is really wrong with such thinking? Why can’t I think about myself and let others think about themselves? The simple answer is, God’s Word teaches the opposite. We are not to always be thinking about ourselves – our feelings, our wants and even our needs. We can see this just by reading the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). As noted earlier, Satan has deceived us into believing the lie that we are most happy (and our happiness is of utmost importance) when serving ourselves. Evolution – a philosophy that teaches man arose from single-celled organisms, evolved over billions of years and has survived by being the “fittest” – has given selfism a foothold as more people accepted this lie and thus conclude “number one” must be top priority. This kind of thinking undermines Christianity, and if we are not careful, we Christians will look, walk and talk just like the world – no longer being the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13-16, 44-48; 6:30-33)!

What is to be done? How do Christians fight against the philosophy of self? We must be diligent students of His Word. Jesus said, “…If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32 NKJV). We have Truth! Not a truth but the Truth! Are we spending more time with Truth or with the distractions of this world (watching movies, playing games, hobbies, etc.)? Let us honestly evaluate ourselves where our heart is – laying up treasures on earth (serving self) or laying up treasures in Heaven (serving others). “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). We must remind ourselves every day that self-seeking is damnable (Matthew 23:25; Romans 2:8; 2 Corinthians 12:20; Galatians 5:20; Colossians 2:23; 2 Peter 2:9-10). Study these passages in their respective contexts and spend time in prayer to God about overcoming self and serving God alone (Matthew 6:24; James 3:13-18; Romans 12:1-2). “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” (Philippians 2:3).

Emily Fisher

One morning last week, I was lying awake at 4:00 A.M. When I do that, I like to spend some time in prayer. It’s quiet, and I can almost certainly be guaranteed that I will not be disturbed. I had several in our church family on my mind, and this seemed like a good time to share my concerns and requests with the Father. I was also praying for a grandson that is studying abroad for a time this summer, and he was also on my mind.

Just before I talked myself into getting out of bed, I had a thought about our Lord. I had been giving some thought to prayer and the different ways we use the benefit of prayer. Praying for forgiveness of sins came to mind, and then I had a new thought. We know Jesus was tempted. We have that clearly relayed to us in Matthew 4. We know He continued to be tempted, and we know that from Luke 4:13. But I had never thought about the particular situations in which we know Jesus was tempted (besides Matthew 4). I was surprised as I thought about this that we can identify some ways we know Jesus was tempted and how He handled the situation.

Think about the things that tempt you. They might be gambling, drinking, smoking, lying, cheating, etc. What about those things that happen every day over a lifetime? There are things like the loss of a loved one, the friend that deceives you, fear, anxiety, someone who steals from you, and the anger that comes from some or all of these. If you think about it, Jesus experienced all of these.

Grief can be a terrible thing. Even when we know the loved one or friend is a Christian, it just hurts. Grief can often be seen as a temptation when we blame God or refuse to accept the loss as His will. I know a lady that has been blaming God for years because He did not save her son. Consequently, she doesn’t pray; because she says God doesn’t answer her prayers. Her grief has become a temptation for her to sin.

Jesus experienced grief. When His cousin, John the Baptizer, was beheaded by Herod, Matthew tells us that Jesus’ disciples took John’s body and buried him. Then they went and told Jesus. When He heard it, He got on a boat and went into a deserted place to be alone. He needed to grieve. Don’t you think He was tempted to be angry and want to retaliate? That is not what He did. He simply went away to grieve alone. When the crowds followed Him, He put His grieving aside and taught them.

Jesus certainly suffered the pain of deceitful friends. Judas is at the top of the list. He pretended to be a dedicated follower of Jesus; but in the end, he was just a thief and a betrayer.

At the crucifixion, all of the disciples ran away when the soldiers came. Peter denied that he even knew Jesus, in front of those sitting around the fire watching the accusations against his Lord.

Jesus also became angry when He saw the moneychangers in the temple. He saw His Father’s house being misused, and He overthrew the tables of the moneychangers. He simply stated that His Father’s house was not to be used for thieves. He was angry, but He did not sin.

Even our Lord was not spared anxiety and feelings of loneliness. On the night before He was crucified, He took His three closest friends with Him to pray. He wanted them to watch with Him, but they fell asleep. Three times He went to pray, and all three times His closest friends on earth gave in to their own feelings and slept. Jesus felt truly alone.

Later, as Jesus hung on the cross, He cried out to God. His words are some of the saddest ever spoken; “My God, my god, why have you forsaken me?”

There are no feelings; there are no temptations that we can experience that our Lord did not. He understands, and that is why we need to spend time with the Father every day in prayer. God understands. Jesus understands. They are there even when we think we are alone. We also have the Holy Spirit who intercedes for us when we simply do not know how to express our feelings.

There is a song called, “Does Jesus Care”? The lyrics of this song were written by Frank E. Graeff. It is said that he wrote it because of the difficulties in his life and his dependence on First Peter 5:7. We would all do well to depend on this verse as we face daily struggles, temptations, and grief. “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

Sandra Oliver

Harden not your hearts like Pharaoh did long ago.

For his pride kept him from obeying God’s command.

He refused to let God’s people go

so that one day they could enter the promised land.

For God will bless His people

if they will always obey His will

to totally put their trust in Him.

He will help them climb every hill.

We must show our faith in God above

like Moses, Ezra and the other heroes of old.

And we will reap a great reward;

walking those Heavenly streets of gold.

Debora Robbins
emh