Service

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

The famous reformer, Martin Luther, lived around the time of Christopher Columbus. He was a gifted man, remembered by most as a Christian pastor, teacher, and writer. Arguably his greatest gift to the Church was to bring people back to the basics of salvation through faith in Christ alone. But very few people recall another of his valued teachings, vocation — the many ways that God works through people in their different occupations to accomplish his will.

I have a perfect example for you. You are reading this eDevotion that I wrote about 5:00 this morning. While it is considered my intellectual property, I needed the help of many to get it to you. I’m sure I won’t list them all, but consider these: the company and people that made my computer, the company and people in the communication business that allowed it to go out via the Internet, the utility company and people that supplied the electricity to make all of this happen. And while that is soaking in, think about this; even though all these people, and many more, played a part in getting this eDevotion to you, it could be truthfully said that God sent you this eDevotion, He just used all of us to make it happen.  

The unbelieving world doesn’t see things that way. There is a story in Acts 14 that illustrates the point. Paul and Barnabas went to Lystra, a city in Asia Minor, now modern day Turkey. They were involved in the healing of crippled man.    

The people at Lysta misunderstood the miracle. Instead of thinking about the greatness of God, they thought about the greatness of Paul and Barnabas. They even went so far as to call them gods, Zeus and Hermes! It wasn’t true, of course, and Paul immediately pointed the people to the true God, the One who showed kindness in His creation and who wanted to make their lives joyful. 

That has been a way of God throughout history. It is not customary that God, Himself, comes down in every event in the human experience. Most typically, He uses ordinary people like you and me for His purposes. When God wanted to ultimately show His love for mankind, He did it through a Man, Jesus Christ. Paul would later write to the Romans, “But God demonstrated His love for us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” [5;8] 

As we start into this weekend and our normal worship activities on Sunday, would you take a little time to consider how our great God serves you through the work of others. It is mind boggling how well He take takes care of you through the service of many.

And one last thing; don’t forget how God has touched you through the service of His Son, Jesus. Because Jesus served the ultimate purpose of God, He died and rose again to secure your eternal salvation. 

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28