Saved To Serve

Humble your heart. Let mercy, faithfulness, and righteousness guide your day that your life would reflect a heart devoted to Jesus as you serve Him. 

“In the course of time, Absalom…stole the hearts of the people of Israel…David said to all his officials “Come! We must flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must leave immediately, or he will…put the city to the sword…Your servants are ready to do whatever our Lord the king chooses.” The king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you come…You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland. You came only yesterday…Go back, and take your people with you. May the Lord show you kindness and faithfulness.” But Ittai replied…As surely as the Lord lives, and as my Lord the king lives, wherever my Lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be…Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, he will bring me back…let him do to me whatever seems good to him.” The king also said to Zadok…Go back to the city with my blessing…David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot.” 

2 Samuel 15:1-30

David was betrayed by his son. Do you stop to wonder why the betrayal happened? Or are we so accustomed to people doing whatever it takes to take power that we read right over this unfaithful action without blinking? We live in a world where ends are often used to justify means. This should not have been the case with Absalom. He was in line to be the next king, yet he wanted his crown before it was his time. He exalted himself and in the process lost his father. He wanted fame and fortune more than family. He preferred right now to righteousness. Have you ever sacrificed a relationship to get something?

David acts like a king in his coming and his going. He chose not to fight against his own son and trusted God would work the results out to their proper end. He humbled himself while making sure to watch out for others along the way. He cared more about pleasing God than his personal comfort. He chose people over power. He acted like a king and shepherd even while vacating the throne. Is this what you would do? Would you lay down your life rather than fight back? 

Is humility a hallmark of your life? Consider the humility of David leaving barefoot rather than beginning a war. It was the faithful servant, a foreigner, who stands out as a righteous person. He declared that whether it meant life or death he would stay faithful to David. Consider our call to follow Jesus. When the pressure mounts and others attack us, do our actions and reactions reflect a heart devoted to Jesus? 

“Lord, remember David and all his self-denial. He swore an oath to the Lord, he made a vow to the Mighty One…May your priests be clothed with your righteousness; may your faithful people sing for joy.’ ” For the Lord has chosen Zion…I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor I will satisfy with food. I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her faithful people will ever sing for joy. “Here I will make a horn grow for David and set up a lamp for my anointed one…his head will be adorned with a radiant crown.” Psalms 132:1-18

David was able to make the decision to stay devoted to God because he believed that God’s faithfulness to him would carry him through whatever he faced. David was not tossed by the tempest like a boat in an ocean. He sang of staying true by denying himself could be seen in how he lived.

How does God respond to David’s humility?  He provides and prepares a way for him to be exalted. As David kneels, God places the crown above his head. He does the same thing with us.  The same offer stands. Bow your knee before Jesus and he will help you become great. How could humbling yourself today help you honor God? 

“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips. Like a bird that flees its nest is anyone who flees from home. Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away. The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going…As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but people are tested by their praise. Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.” Proverbs 27:1-24

Consider the wisdom of this text in light of all that David went through. He did not worry about how things would work out as he traveled toward the wilderness.  He chose to take refuge rather than rely on the strength of his army against his son. He was humble and found out who was really there to help him along the way. He paid attention to how everyone else was doing and did not make everything all about himself. He was the king but chose to care for others rather than care about the wealth he lost when he left the throne. 

How we respond to pressure reveals the truth of our hearts. Solomon says as water reflects the face so your life reflects your heart. Jesus said the same thing. You will be known by the fruit your life produces. What does your life say about your heart?

Pressure is not a bad thing. We might not like how it feels to be pressured. It can force us out of our comfort zones and into places where we have to rely on Christ to carry us. The truth is pressure should produce praise. Solomon says you will go through crucibles in life and the grade you get on the test will be how you can lift a song even when you suffer. Is the pressure you are facing producing praise?

He says you will be tested by how are you praise not when life is easy, but as your face the fire. What has been coming out of your mouth when you are facing attacks from others or feeling the weight of the world? Will you remain faithful? Can you still be grateful and give God thanks? 

“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord. Return, you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revolted against. For in that day every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold your sinful hands have made.”

Isaiah 31:1, 6-7 

How much of our lives are devoted to gathering more silver and gold? How much of our focus is on external circumstances and creature comforts? God gives us a reminder though Isaiah that when times of crisis or calamity come we won’t be thinking much about what things cost. 

God wants us to learn to trust in him and stay devoted through the hills and valleys. We were never meant to do life alone. We were made to be dependent on God, but we live in a world that is often designed for individualism and self promotion. There is a tension. Daily, we need to remind ourselves that everything is from God, for God. 

“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful…do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. “Woe to you…you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to…you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean…how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.”

Matthew 23:1-37

Jesus is very clear about how we are to live. He said that we are to be humble and servants. He said our focus should be justice, mercy and faithfulness.  He said we have inside out living. First, we get our hearts in alignment with his heart only then our lives will change.  His heart is to draw us close and care for us. He told the people He longed to draw them close, but they were not willing. Are you willing? Is your hearts greatest desire to draw close to the king? Does your life reflect devotion to Jesus no matter what you are facing?

Jesus calls out the hypocrites. He calls out the people who pretend to be righteous, but do not do what is right. They are all talk and no action. The exact opposite of what Solomon advised to do. Why do they do pretend? Why do we pretend?

There is an ongoing battle between the spirit and the flesh.  Our flesh loves to public praise and recognition. We live in a world that loves to celebrate who is the GOAT or greatest of all time in any sport or industry. We like celebrities and superheroes.  It is the famous and powerful who capture the headlines and hearts of the news.  

Jesus said follow me. He showed us the way to eternal life comes through surrender, service, and sacrifice. In our own strength, this might feel impossible, but through daily dependence on Christ all things are possible.  When we realize that God is always at work, with us, and for us, and faithful we can be like David and walk away from worldly crowns. We can focus on caring for our flocks rather than on career promotions. 

We were made to sharpen each other like iron and serve each other like Jesus. As we choose to follow him, we will find the joy of our salvation because the truth is as much as we give up, we will never out give God. He will always provide and is right by our side. 

Whether you feel like you are at the end of your rope or barely holding on to hope, Jesus is with you and for you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He is looking to serve you as you serve others. He is shaping and sharpening you so that your heart is fully refined to be like His as you pass through the fire. So let the pressure you feel produce as a song of praise and prepare to see God place a crown above your head.