SERVING THE LORD

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  (Romans 12: 1 NKJV)

The first thing for all of us to do is to present ourselves to God as alive from the dead, and our bodies as living sacrifices. The path of blessedness can be entered by no other door. It’s only when we refuse to be conformed to this world, and yield ourselves to be transformed by the free entrance of the Holy Spirit into our minds, that we can learn all that God will do for us. We are nothing; He is all. And He is prepared to be and do all things in us, if only we will open up to Him as the land lies open to the summer sun.

Those who really live the yielded life do not need to ascertain God's will by signs. They recognize it by the whisper of His voice and the touch of His hand. It is as if we refuse to be molded by the world, and give ourselves up to the transforming Spirit of God. Then we prove what is His good, acceptable, and perfect will. But more than that, we begin to live for others, and draw by faith from the fullness of God, so that we may minister to them righteously.

First, we must understand what the will of God is. Then, we present our body so that His will may fulfill itself through us.  We then discover that it means goodwill to men, and we become the happy channels of heavenly ministry to those around us in one of the spheres enumerated in verse 6-8 of this chapter. It is impossible then to cherish jealousy. It is equally impossible to be proud, because we have nothing that we have not received from God. Let’s always remember that each of us has a special ministry to fulfill, and that we shall find in our daily lot the opportunity of fulfilling it. How many resemble the landowner of the Eastern story, who sold his property in order to go in search of diamonds, and guess what, the man who purchased his property found it full of diamonds. Indeed it was the famous Golconda region. In the dally drudgery of life you will find your heavenly opportunity. How many are searching for a great mission and will never be permitted to enter it, because they despise the low and narrow door of humble service to those in their immediate neighborhood?

But we can never realize these divine ideals of service merely by an external obedience. We must be constrained by a holy love to our Lord and to one another. What despair these ideals would be apart from the Holy Spirit. That holy love comes from Him.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father work in me, not only to will but to do of Your good pleasure; and may I work out in my daily life what You work in. In Jesus’ Name I pray, AMEN.

God's Daily Promise

Promise #50:
You will find freedom wherever My Spirit dwells.

2 Corinthians 3:17 (WEB)
Now the Lord is the Spirit
and where the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is liberty.