A Servant of All
I would just like to take a few minutes and "thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!" (Ps 107:31).
God is a wonderful Father, the only perfect Father we could ever have. He knows exactly what we need and I can say pretty confidently that I believe He will give us His word when we need it. I'm saying that because He says that "He has given us everything we need for life and godliness", even our daily bread was designed by Him so that we might have a vivid picture of the fact that we need His Word, that we need His strength and grace to survive for "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" and "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil 4:13).
And because "Praise benefits the upright" I will praise the LORD by declaring His wonderful deeds. That He is a faithful God, that He is not like man, that He should lie, or like the son of man that He should change His mind. What He said He will do and what He spoke He will fulfill.
I praise God for my marriage. That it's been a wonderful opportunity to see that He is right, to see that my reflection in His Word is the most accurate reflection of me that I'll ever see. That I am so well portrayed in the beginning of Psalm 36..
" Transgression speaks to the wicked
deep in his heart;
there is no fear of God
before his eyes.
For he flatters himself in his own eyes
that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit;
he has ceased to act wisely and do good.
He plots trouble while on his bed;
he sets himself in a way that is not good;
he does not reject evil."
That I am portrayed so well in my need for Him in John 15
"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."
I praise the Holy Spirit of God for softening my heart and showing me that I own these verses. That He makes me see that this is The Truth and nothing else I see around me.
Lately, my Heavenly Father has kept bringing me back to these words of Jesus:
"33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" 34But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, "If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." (Mark 9).
"20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." 22Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." 23He said to them, "You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." 24And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."" (Matt 20)
This is one thing I've seen in myself a lot through my marriage: I want to be served. It's always about me, even when I do something for Dave, I need praise and he definitely needs to do something even nicer for me. But according to what Jesus says, I will be last in the kingdom of heaven if I continue to act that way.
The kingdom of heaven.. a place full of God's glory. The place where the Almighty God dwells, the only place that matters in light of eternity. I want to be great in the kingdom of heaven!
for his wondrous works to the children of man!" (Ps 107:31).
God is a wonderful Father, the only perfect Father we could ever have. He knows exactly what we need and I can say pretty confidently that I believe He will give us His word when we need it. I'm saying that because He says that "He has given us everything we need for life and godliness", even our daily bread was designed by Him so that we might have a vivid picture of the fact that we need His Word, that we need His strength and grace to survive for "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" and "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil 4:13).
And because "Praise benefits the upright" I will praise the LORD by declaring His wonderful deeds. That He is a faithful God, that He is not like man, that He should lie, or like the son of man that He should change His mind. What He said He will do and what He spoke He will fulfill.
I praise God for my marriage. That it's been a wonderful opportunity to see that He is right, to see that my reflection in His Word is the most accurate reflection of me that I'll ever see. That I am so well portrayed in the beginning of Psalm 36..
" Transgression speaks to the wicked
deep in his heart;
there is no fear of God
before his eyes.
For he flatters himself in his own eyes
that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit;
he has ceased to act wisely and do good.
He plots trouble while on his bed;
he sets himself in a way that is not good;
he does not reject evil."
That I am portrayed so well in my need for Him in John 15
"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."
I praise the Holy Spirit of God for softening my heart and showing me that I own these verses. That He makes me see that this is The Truth and nothing else I see around me.
Lately, my Heavenly Father has kept bringing me back to these words of Jesus:
"33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" 34But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, "If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." (Mark 9).
"20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." 22Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." 23He said to them, "You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." 24And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."" (Matt 20)
This is one thing I've seen in myself a lot through my marriage: I want to be served. It's always about me, even when I do something for Dave, I need praise and he definitely needs to do something even nicer for me. But according to what Jesus says, I will be last in the kingdom of heaven if I continue to act that way.
The kingdom of heaven.. a place full of God's glory. The place where the Almighty God dwells, the only place that matters in light of eternity. I want to be great in the kingdom of heaven!
posted by Monica | 4:29 PM
|
0 comments
