Meditation

11/19/2021

“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.” (Ephesian 6:5-8)

Beloved 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 managers pay only earthly wages. When we face our true Master, He will reward us for our faithfulness o Him. Earthly status and position will play no role. All are slaves of God

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Precious Abba, You are and always have been our God. You have given the kingdom of heaven’s control over to Jesus, and we know that one day You will send Him back here, to fully restore this earth to its original state. Until then, it is our job to serve You justly and with honor, no matter how low or high our position is on the ladder, and that we must also seek justice for those around us, who cannot find it on their own. It is not our doing, but You working through us, that makes the difference for obtaining justice for them, because to serve You means to let down our defenses and allow You to work through us to make a difference in all people. Let our worship then flow out of grateful hearts. This we pray. Amen

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“If you truly want your neighbor to see what Christ can do for them, let them see what Christ did for us.”

KNOWING GOD:

“He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us . On him we have set our hope that he will continue o deliver us, as your help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.” (2^nd Peter 1:10-11)

Paul considered his helpers in prayer to be real partners. Their prayers helped deliver him from persecution and trouble. Prayer partners participate not only in intercession but also in thanksgiving. One that is willing to pray for others needs or deliverance from some kind of trouble or need healing, are those who, like Paul, partner not just to be part of a group, but to pray to our Father for others’ needs. It is an honor, to be asked to pray for others, and God knows our hearts and minds before we even open our mouths in prayers, but we honor Him by praying for other peoples hurts in body, mind, and/or spirit.

I AM:

“Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But hen you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:1-4)

Simply put, brothers and sisters, we received no reward for good done for the wrong reasons. Motivation determines the reward for acts of righteousness. God does not reward an act done for selfish reasons. The audience before whom we perform the act provides our only reward. God will ultimately reward those who meet the needs of others without thought of personal gain. Being a follower of Jesus Christ is serving Him by our serving others, without condition or gain for ourselves of any kind.

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)

When Jesus began His ministry, it was common for the priests and teachers of the law to be given the best seats for feasts of any king, they were asked to give prayers, which they turned into long drawn out diatribes, which was a display of their usage of word, but the prayers were meaningless. It was a show for the people around them, to make themselves look more important. Do not be fooled by those who seek to serve their own needs, as opposed to the needs of others!