Bible in 90, Day 03: Jacob’s Devotion

Genesis 29-40

*image courtesy of haloocyn at stock.xchng

There’s one of those sentences in today’s reading that you read, pass over, and don’t think much about it unless you stop to do so.  It’s in Genesis 29:20, and it says, “So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.”

Now, my wife and I met when we were young.  I was 16, she was 15.  We were dating within about six months, and didn’t marry until we were 22 and 21 years old.  I used to think that six years was a long time to have waited for my wife.  Of course, back then, I wasn’t waiting for my wife.  I was just dating my girlfriend.  (If you ask Keelie, it may have been different for her!)  Now that we’ve been married 6½ years, it doesn’t seem quite so long.

Jacob, on the other hand, knew that Rachel was the girl for him.  He saw her, and knew right away he wanted to marry her.  When he began his seven years of service to earn the right to marry her, he was waiting for his wife!  But notice what it says – “and they seemed to him but a few days.”  Indeed, even the passage itself makes it seem this way.  We have 19 verses that cover at most a few days, and then seven years pass in one verse!

Jacob had a genuine love for Rachel, one that was shown through his dedicated service to her father.  He could have backed out at anytime, deciding to go find a wife that wouldn’t require so much effort to marry!  Instead, he showed his devotion to her by sticking it out for seven years.

As we saw, he ended up getting tricked by his father-in-law, and had to serve another seven years to get Rachel.  So, in actuality, he spent fourteen years of his life working for another man just for the privilege calling Rachel his wife!

That’s devotion!

I hope and pray that I show that kind of devotion to my wife.  I know I didn’t during our dating years as an ignorant teenage guy.  My hope is that every Christian man would show that kind of devotion to his wife, and that every Christian woman would expect that kind of devotion before marrying a man.

Let’s show our love through our actions.  Whether it’s our family, our friends, our brothers and sisters in Christ, or our loved ones; let’s give them our devotion.  God showed His love to us by sending us His Son, and we ought to love each other in the same manner: with our actions (1 John 4).

Originally at Words of Reason

Bible in 90, Day 74: Unworthy servants

Luke 10-20

image courtesy of Henkster at stock.xchng

They mean well.

I’ve had the opportunity to preach here and there over the years.  Each time, I’ve stood at the back door to greet people as they left.  Some have remarked that God really spoke to them through my message, but most have said something like, “Good sermon preacher!” or “Good job!”  I’m not faulting anyone who’s ever said this to a preacher.  But, for a long time this was hard for me to take.  My thought was, “I didn’t really do anything, it was God!”  I’m a perfectionist and highly self-critical, so at the end of most sermons I’ve preached I can only see where I went wrong and how I could have done better.  I used to point out these errors as people complimented me.  One day, a wise woman looked me in the eye and said, “Just be gracious and take the compliment!”  I love that woman.

My perfectionism aside, my concern was/is somewhat biblically based.  You see, I’m just a servant doing what I’ve been instructed.  I am nothing special.  Jesus reminded us of this today in Luke 17:1-10.  He tells a parable about a servant who is expected to serve his master at the table after having spent all day working in the field.  Now, the servant has done well, and has followed one task with another.  Does the master thank him?  No.  The master expects the servant to follow his commands, he does not thank him for his obedience.

In the same way, Jesus tells His disciples, we are not to expect applause, thanks, praise, or reward when we have simply done what was expected of us.  Our mindset should be that we are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.  Does this mean that it is wrong for us to express gratitude to a Sunday School teacher who faithfully leads his class, or a preacher for faithfully preaching the word, or to a deacon for faithfully serving his church, or a custodian to who faithfully maintains the grounds, or an usher who faithfully watches over those entering the building each week?  No.  It does mean that the teacher, preacher, deacon, custodian, and usher should not expect any praise or admiration.  They should not serve in order to get such applause from people.  They should serve faithfully because they are servants of a great Master.

Note that we are unworthy servants.  Truly, we are not even worthy to untie Jesus’ sandals (Mark 1:7), let alone serve Him in the great ways that He commands us to.  Our mindset should that of gratitude for being allowed the privilege of serving Christ.

Let’s give thanks to God for His goodness and His faithful love which endures forever!  We are not worthy, yet God has seen fit to call us into His service for the expansion of His Kingdom.  Let’s serve faithfully, not for applause or awards, but because Christ has called us to.

Originally at Words of Reason