Meditation for Monday
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Hebrews 12:28
Have you ever been turned down for a job after an interview in which you did your best to convince the employer that you were the best candidate for the position? Many of us know the disappointment of being rejected for something that we desire so much. In many cases, candidates are turned down for jobs, not because they aren’t qualified, but because somebody else was even more qualified. But most jobs also have candidates who really aren’t suited for the job, either not having the skills and qualifications or not having the right aptitude and initiative. For example, a person with a serious speech impediment would not likely be hired as a radio announcer. And a person who had never learned to type would be quickly rejected as a candidate for a stenographer’s position. There is one job, however, that all of us are totally unqualified for – that of serving our God. And yet, God calls some of us to serve Him.
Actually, God calls all of those who are saved to serve Him. By nature, none of us has the credentials to do so. That is why the writer of our text speaks of serving God in reverence. The sense here is that of shame. In ourselves, we are most unworthy to do anything for our Lord. And yet He desires that we enter His service wholeheartedly. Knowing that it is only He Who has enabled us for service, we are ashamed, but we are also thankful. The greatest cause and purpose to which our lives can be directed are ours, because of God’s grace. By that grace, we can not only serve Him but can do so acceptably.
There are some televangelists who make a great show of how familiar they are with God. With an amazing lack of humility, they display the very opposite of godly fear. That’s not what our attitude should be. Given the honour of serving the Best of all possible masters instead of being slaves to the enemy of our souls is something to be thankful for and to appreciate from the depths of our hearts. When we consider how far God has lifted us and how wonderfully He has blessed us, humility and reverence should flow from us every hour of the day.
There’s an old saying that God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called. With humble gratitude, let us serve joyfully. –Jim MacIntosh