Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Choose to Serve the Lord, Part 1

Scripture: Joshua 24:14a-b
Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth;

Insights:  Today’s portion of verse 14 of Joshua 24 is kind of like the stick and the carrot of motivation.  In other words, we are to serve God because of the love we have for Him.  After all, if we are Christ-followers, we have been saved from eternal damnation.  A portion of our service to the Father ought to be out of gratitude for His amazing grace.  At the same time, however, as we have been looking at, God is God and ought to be feared.  Hebrews 10:23-25 gives us a good New Testament picture of this concept.  It reads, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”  Because so many do not really have a healthy fear of the Lord, they tend to waver in the hope with which the confessed Christ Jesus as Savior.  When this wavering begins, the first thing you see them doing is leaving the church.  In that kind of picture we do not see the proper fear of the Lord being displayed in those departing the Body.  At the same time, we see an admonishing to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.  The reason we perform such ministerial tasks is because we have grown in our love for Jesus and feel compelled to share His love to others.  In that display of love, hopefully, they are encouraged.  Let us choose to serve the Lord out of proper fear and perfect love.  One last thought regarding the Hebrews passage.  Notice it concludes with “all the more as you see the day drawing near.”  There ought to be urgency in our service and love to the Lord and others.  Let’s show that love today.

Questions:
  1. Are you stimulating others to love and good deeds?
  2. Does your service convict you of being a disciple of Jesus?                              
Prayer: Father, help me to be a better disciple today.  A disciple that serves You and displays my love for You to other people.  Amen.  

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