Meditation

Meditation for 07/19/2019

“Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.” (Ephesians 6:5-8)

Personal justice is not the goal of discipleship. My task is not to make sure I get justice. I must be more concerned that I act justly and fight for justice for others. Paul called on slaves to accept their unjust status and serve their masters in love and loyalty. Whatever our social or employment status, we know our ultimate supervisor is God.

Every action we take, every job we do, we do to please Him. Earthly manages pay only earthly wages. When we face our true Master, He will reward us for faithfulness to Him. Earthly status and position will lay no role whatsoever. All are slaves of God.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Abba, You do not give us quotas of things to accomplish, that will enable us to enter the kingdom. Instead, You are more interested in rewarding us for the good that we do for others. We seek Your help that in all things, we must keep in the forefront of our minds, that our faithfulness to You carries much weight in our reward. It is not how much we accomplish, but the quality of our seeking to treat others justly; to provide justice for those that may be unable to obtain it for ourselves; to seek the common good for all of Your people, and all for Your glory. We love and seek to serve You in all things, Abba, and we need help to ensure all are treated with respect and honor. Amen

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, in the Lord we do trust!”

KNOWING GOD:

“Therefore my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure, but if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will be receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2^nd Peter 1:10-11)

Beloved, Peter encouraged his readers to cultivate qualities of true discipleship (verses 5-8) and thereby, to grow spiritually. As reward for such discipleship, disciples will be warmly welcomed to inherit eternal life in God’s kingdom.

I AM:

Discipleship, Rewarded: (Matthew 25:34-46)

When the Lord returns, the distinction between those who served God and those who did not will be make abundantly clear as all stand before the judgment seat for the great separation. The way we served will determine whether or not we are Christ’s disciples. Those who serve with proper motives serve the Lord by serving people in need. They will be rewarded with the inheritance of the kingdom God has prepared since the beginning of time. Those who are not Christ’s disciples will receive eternal punishment as their lot!

Second Thought of the Day:

“I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.” (Mark 9:41)

Every act of Christian service will be rewarded by spiritual growth that will qualify the disciple for a rich welcome into God’s eternal kingdom.

Sounds simple, right? Well, it is not exactly that simple. One could do things to make themselves look better to others, but God would know the difference. What we must clearly understand, is that we are to serve our fellow human beings with joy in our hearts and with the intent to be helpful to them, not for any other reason. So we have to serve those we love, those we like to be around and we must love those who may seem unlovable! Big difference, beloved, but the reward is the gift of the Kingdom.