Friday, January 6, 2017

The Reward of Christian Service {Read Deuteronomy 11:22-32}

We don't follow Him in order to be loved; we are loved so we follow Him. ~ Neil Anderson ~

I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse - the blessing if you obey the commands of the LORD your God {Deut. 11:26-27 NIV}.

     No one with any spiritual insight serves God to be rewarded. To be capable of worshiping and prasing God is enough reward in itself; it is dreadful and immature to think that you may be doing this for God so that He will do something for you in return. No person is in a position to negotiate with God.
     God, in His eternal and boundless wisdom, owes nobody anything. It is impossible to serve Him without receiving a blessing, but it is important to serve Him for His own sake and not just for the blessings He pours out over you. Trying to serve God without an awareness of His indwelling Spirit only leads to frustration, disappointment and unhappiness.
     When you forget about the self in your service to God, you will find that the Master comes close to you and you become aware of His indwelling Spirit that strengthens you.
     You cannot possibly do God's work in His Spirit without becoming aware of His living presence. One of the deserving influences of serving Christ is that you are drawn closer and closer to Him and this inspires you to serve Him better.

Lord, my God, may the way I serve You not be spoiled by hidden motives or selfish desires. Amen.

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