At His Service

Obediently Serving
Deuteronomy 5:1-6:25

"Live the way the Lord your God has commanded you so that you may live and have what is good and have a long life in the land you will take." (Deuteronomy 5:33)

No servant will last very long in a household if they break all the rules or don't do what the master says. Similarly with us, we won't get very far confessing with our mouths that we are God's servants but breaking every "household" command. That kind of servant would lose his/her job most quickly. But God is different than just any master. Our Lord is The Master. God's commands are always for our own good and the good of others. Following God's commands, there is no error. Lord help me to serve You obediently, always following Your perfect will for my life.

Joyfully Serving
Psalm 37:1-6

"Enjoy serving the Lord, and he will give you what you want." (Psalm 37:4)

We tend to have "have to" and "want to" lists- which vary depending on the person. When I was younger, dusting topped by "have to" list and running was/and still is pretty high on my "want to" list. A problem as I see it is that "serving the Lord" is all too often falling into the "have to" list, when it should be a "want to." Serving the Lord in its many beautiful forms (as a Sunday school teacher in church, a volunteer at the homeless shelter, a friend to the new kid in your class, a warm family member, etc) is not a "have to" thing. It should be something that we enjoy, because it is something that we can do for our Lord.

Think of that person who you love so much it surprises you, now think about all the little things you do or try to do for that person. For someone else, it would be a "have to"- wash the dishes, make a meal, run to the store. But for that person, it's a "want to"- why? It's all motivated by our great love for that person, which makes us enjoy showing our love for them. But this Psalm goes beyond the joy that comes from serving the Lord we love so much. In fact, we are promised that we will get what we want... and I don't believe that means a "your wish is my command." But we will get a closer connection to the Lord we love, which is the reason for our service... and the reason for our great joy.

Faithfully Serving
Luke 1:26-38

"Mary said, 'I am the servant of the Lord. Let this happen to me as you say!' Then the angel went away." (Luke 1:38)

I have always marveled at Mary's great faith and trust in the Lord. Her response isn't, "That would be scandalous!" Or "I'll get in so much trouble!" Or even the "How????" that has bewildered so so many of us. But, she trusts that God has it in His hands. Her response is a faithful and trusting, "I am your servant." She's not sure about where she'll have this baby, how she'll have this baby, when she'll have this baby or even what her exact role will be. But, she trusts God to take care of the particulars. She simply offers herself as a servant, trusting that God will teach her how to serve her most important part. Lord, may I learn to serve you with so much faith and trust.