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In Christ, Mark
In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Therefore this is what the
Sovereign Lord says:
“My servants will eat, My servants
will drink, My servants will rejoice, My servants will sing out of the joy of
their hearts, to His servants He will give another name.”
Isaiah 65:13-15
This ends today’s reading from God's holy
word. Thanks be to God.
What comes to mind when you think of being a servant to
someone else?
We might conjure up different visions of what it looks like
but there’s one thing I think we’ll find at the center of them all.
An attitude of selflessness and sacrifice.
You see, when we truly serve others we have to put
ourselves second to the needs of those we are serving. Ask any father or mother
who are raising children and they will tell you this is true. For kids require
a ton of attention and assistance as they grow up and parents quickly find
there is little time left in their days after subtracting the time demands
their kids place upon them.
With this, and other scenarios like them where service
requires a huge investment of time, it may seem like a person is giving up
living their lives for the sake of living for others. In serving, they choose
to set aside their wants and desires to make the needs of those they are
serving the top priority. Perhaps this is why people choose to not commit
themselves to serving. They are so attached to their own wishes that they are
not willing to set them aside, even if it would mean making a difference in the
life of someone else. I think this is why it’s hard to find people to help in
times of need, even in the church where it seems there is always a call to
pitch in somewhere and always a struggle to find people to give of their time
and talents. The end result is usually the same people surrendering their time
over and over and over again. I believe the old saying is that 100 percent of
the work is done by ten percent of the people.
So what are we to do about this situation and the
servant-less condition we see our society in today?
Perhaps we need to turn to the word of God and, in
particular, the 65th chapter of Isaiah where we find the Lord speaking these
words today about those who serve Him:
Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“My servants will eat, My servants will drink, My servants will
rejoice, My servants will sing out of the joy of their hearts, to His servants
He will give another name.” Isaiah 65:13-15
That’s it, right?
The key to being the kind of servant the Lord wants is to
first serve Him. It really is central to the way believers are expected to
live. We are to seek the Lord’s will and way every day, living to serve His
purposes and desires and not our own. When we do that, He tells us in our
scripture passage for today that He will provide the following in return:
1. He will ensure we have food to eat.
Serving the Lord requires that we have energy to do all He
calls for us to do. The Lord ensures we are always nourished to carry out His
work.
2. He will ensure we
have drink.
Staying hydrated is just as important as being nourished by
food and the Lord has promised to always quench the thirst of those who dedicate
themselves to His service.
3. He will bring us to a place of rejoicing.
Is there any better place to be in life than basking in the
glow of the Lord’s favor? When we serve Him, obedient to His calling by
carrying out all He asks of us to do, we live a life that is right and
righteous, a life we can be sure is pleasing in His sight. And that, my
friends, is reason to rejoice.
4. He will bring us to a place where we sing songs of joy
from the heart.
I just love Christian music, from the modern contemporary
songs of today to the hymns of old. On fire from serving the Lord every day, I
find my spirit singing out with joy and devotion to the Lord who so richly
blesses me as I serve Him each and every day.
5. He gives His servants another name.
The Lord doesn’t tell us what name He will give His
servants but I believe the primary one based on everything we have just looked
at is the name “Blessed.” The Lord will richly bless those who willingly serve
Him without reservation and with reckless abandon.
Friends, the Lord is speaking to us today and reminding us
that He loves His servants and will make sure they are always provided for.
These blessings are abundantly given unto us and are far greater than anything
we might gain by serving only ourselves. For the offerings of this world pale
in comparison to the riches that the Lord wants to give those who remain
faithful and compliant to Him.
What’s the solution to the servant problem in our world
today?
It’s rooted in a person’s rebellion towards serving the
Lord. Giving up everything for Him, just as Jesus showed all Christians to do,
does not result in us losing our lives. Rather, it leads to us discovering true
life, rooted in the Lord now and forever.
The Lord is speaking to you today. Are you serving Him, and
in turn others, as you should?
Amen.
In
Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
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