"A Servant's Heart"

"Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy." (Psalms 132:9)

  No matter what your ministry or calling might be, there are requirements that must be established in a persons heart; much like the example Jesus gave about, "counting the cost." It really does not matter, this verse covers every single area of ministry and all believers, from the senior pastors, to the new believer. There have been so many, what I call mistakes, that I look back on and wonder, If I had only done it this way! Correct me if I am wrong, but how is it a mistake, when we are servants of the Lord? When I was blessed to give the Mother's Day Message at a friends church a few years ago, I chose to do the message on the Book of Ruth. I started out sharing about the big mistake that was made by a man named Elimelech to leave his home for Moab, based upon the famine in his homeland. Especially because the name of the land he left meant, House of Bread! We know the story, how it turns out that it he dies, and then his two sons die, and Naomi his wife is left with her two daughter-in-laws, Orpah and Ruth. After having been devastated by her loss, Naomi decides to go back to her homeland, and Ruth is more than persistent to go with her. There was one point in this message that I felt incredibly overcome with passion, and I literally had to cover my face and ask God to please help me gain composure. It was the point where Naomi first entered Bethlehem and the people noticed her, and they called out her name. She responded, "Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?" (Ruth 1:20-21) The reason that I lost it so badly, was the thought of Ruth's feelings, as she heard Naomi say how that she had returned empty! When we give our lives to the Lord, we become His property, (as if we never weren't,) and He allows us to make mistakes; but our mistakes turn out as His opportunities towards His purposes, in our lives or with our lives; it is all about His glory. So there you have it...

"Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5)