But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matthew 6:33-34.

Why should we seek to enter the kingdom? Why should we seek to walk under the service of Him who is our King? It is because in the day of judgment He will sort out those who served Him, those whose desire was to seek the kingdom of God, and those who did not.

Certainly we cannot merit anything by serving the Lord, but our text teaches there is a reward in this life as well as an eternal reward for serving the Lord. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness [Now here is the reward]; and all these things shall be added unto you." What things? They are all the things the Gentiles seek and strive for with the sweat of their brow.

The Lord is telling us not to worry about those things. Just walk under His banner, and He will provide them; we do not need to strive for material things. There is the reward in this life. Also, there is an eternal reward on the day of judgment when those who served Him are separated from those who did not serve Him. This is the reward for the obedience of faith spoken of in HEB 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

We must understand there is a difference between a reward and a merit. We are not able to merit anything, but the Lord is so pleased with righteousness, and one who has a heart tender for His will, that He gives a reward. It is an undeserved blessing, something to which we have no right or title.

The Psalmist spoke of this reward in PSA 58:10-11, "The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth." He has a reward for walking in the fear of the Lord.

Moses gave up all the treasures of Egypt through the obedience of faith to serve the Lord. Moses was in the house of Pharaoh as the son of Pharaoh's daughter which put him in line to possibly inherit the throne.

He gave it all up to serve the Lord. Why? The reproach of Christ was far greater wealth than all the riches of Egypt because Moses had "...respect unto the recompence of the reward." He saw that the reward the Lord promised was greater by far than all the treasures of Egypt. He did it for the reward, and that is what you and I must understand; there is a reward! The Lord rewards those who diligently seek Him.