The One Who Serves

Tuesday, May 2, ‎2023

Good morning, Lord

Verse of the Day: Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." —John 12:21

Memory of the Month: John 10:27-28

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Today's reading: 1 KINGS 12-13 LUKE 22:1-30

One Who Serves...Loves

Rehoboam followed his father Solomon as king and would not listen to his father's wise advisers. The people of Israel came and asked for Rehoboam to lessen the workload that Solomon had imposed on them. The advisers said,

“If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.”(1 Kings 12:7)

If he would 'serve them' and 'give them a favorable answer', in other words, if Rehoboam would 'lower himself' to be a public servant, the people would follow him always.

Rehoboam, instead, followed the advice of his younger crowd-teach them a lesson-be hard as you can be. Rehoboam lost all of Israel but Judah.

But-we must remember that all this was God's judgement for Solomon's sin of serving other Gods. God had said that He would take the kingdom out of the hands of the son of Solomon.

Solomon had not served the Lord and the people the way God commanded. Rehoboam followed in his father's steps and then threatened the people instead of loving them.

25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them;... But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. "(Luke 22)

A real servant-a good servant- loves-whether a king or a waiter-

"a person who serves without loving is not a servant."

Jesus said, "But you are not like that...you are like Me...I am here as the servant serving love...your life is to be the same"

A lot of scripture deals with the idea of servanthood. The 'Great Shepherd' is also the loving servant. A loving servant serves no matter the suffering or abuse-no matter what 'ego' says-no matter what peer wisdom says. A loving servant serves because of what God says.

Solomon lost sight of loving God and serving the people and destined his son to lose the kingdom-history has repeated itself in the sins of 'big men' for centuries. But, right now, the big men in history do not matter...

What matters now? The love in our hearts for God. If our hearts serve self, we could be destined for failure. But, it is never too late to confess the weakness of our love and cry out to God to increase our love for Him that we might be compelled by that love to 'be the one who serves'.

It is never too late-as long as we have breath...

...because He loves us...

Father in Heaven, Sovereign God,

Forgive me for not loving while I serve.

I want to love you with everything that I am. Fill my heart with hunger for You and Your love.

God of Love and grace

In the name of Christ,

Amen