Working with autistic children has definitely been interesting, and I am enjoying it for the most part. One thing that I have learned is that it’s important to have the right reinforcers or rewards in motivating the kids to want to work. Trix cereal works great with one of my kids. I tell him “sit down”, he sits in his chair, and then I reward him with a few of those sweet, round morsels. Another boy I work with likes “surprise” reinforcers. I will bring something for him inside a brown paper bag and say “first tie shoes(or whatever skill we’re working on) and then, surprise.” He is usually very compliant in doing what I ask so that he can get his reward. These little reinforcers need to be changed up from time to time, because if they are not, most likely the child will come to the place of SATIATION. He’s had his fill of Trix, talking books, paddle balls, peek a boo, etc. and therefore is no longer motivated to want to work.
I was thinking about these things and how they can apply to our relationship with God. Did you know that there are rewards in living for God? Psalm 103 mentions a few of them.
Psa 103:2
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Psa 103:3
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Psa 103:4
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Psa 103:5
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
In the book of Genesis, we can read the first time the word “reward” is mentioned.
Gen 15:1
After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
God is not only the rewarder, but He is also the reward too! What a privilege it is to be able to have a relationship with Him, to be able to pray and worship and actually feel His presence! There is nothing else like it in the whole world. I wonder what would happen if every single time when we prayed we felt God’s presence? Could we get to the point where we grow so accustomed to feeling the presence of God when we pray or enter into the house of God that it suddenly doesn’t mean anything to us anymore – where we have reached spiritual satiation? We can just take it or leave it? I don’t know about you, but I’ve gone through seasons in my walk with God where I am worshipping Him with all my heart and trying to serve Him to the best of my ability, but I don’t feel a thing. It’s like the heaven’s are brass, and God is a million miles away. Sometimes I wonder if God allows this to happen so that we will not take Him for granted. Whatever the case, I don’t ever want to get to the place where serving God, praying, reading His Word, feeling His presence and just plain living for Him becomes “old hat.”
Isaiah 9:6 speaking of the coming Messiah(Jesus) tells us that His name would be called “wonderful”.
Wonderful………………..full of wonder. May He be so full of wonder in our eyes that we can never, ever get enough of Him!
