All tagged service

I read a devotional message titled "The World Turned Upside-Down" and it spoke of those in the faith whose walk with God allowed them to change the world in a mighty way. Of course when I read those words I immediately thought of Jesus who changed the Jewish faith, and all of mankind forever through his fulfillment of prophesy and the law. He removed the stain and hopelessness of sin once and for all, conquered death, and provided an avenue by which all mankind could come before God... sin free, righteous and holy.

This morning my devotional reading was on the subject of prayer, thanksgiving, and how their presence leads us to consecration. E.M. Bounds, the author, was very emphatic in his proclamation as he wrote these words: "True prayer and gratitude lead to full consecration, and consecration leads to more and better praying. A consecrated life is a life of both prayer and thanksgiving." So, when we read such things do we truly understand what it means to be consecrated?

Have you ever received manna from heaven? Maybe you haven’t been the recipient of this heavenly food specifically, but has some form of spiritual or supernatural rescue or provision been provided for you? How about a call from God to be that answer, or help, to someone else’s need or prayer? When God uses us in this way we suddenly realize the immenseness of the blessing that comes from being in His service.

We sit before Jesus listening as He teaches, and we speak of being humble, but when He kneels before us, do we let Him wash our feet? Do we share in this moment of His humility, service, and love? Can we even allow Him to kneel before us? Can we begin to feel what He is feeling at that moment, when one at a time He takes each of our feet into His hand and ladles water over it with His other? Do we feel ashamed as He rubs the filth from us, and is that shame because we are allowing Him to serve us in a manner that we feel is demeaning to Him, or because we have looked upon so many others as being less when they were serving us? This one act of foot washing teaches us truths at so many levels.

We long for freedom, and to be our own men and women, but what does freedom really mean? So many feel that freedom means that they are not to be subservient to anyone, when what it really means is that we are free to serve whomever we choose. As patriots we serve our country, as husbands and wives we serve our families, but as Christians we find the greatest of all service... we find that our freedom is founded in serving the Lord, and making Him the focus of our lives.