DATE POSTED Saturday, 2023-02-11
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Chronicles 28:9-10
TRANSLATION: Amplified Bible (AMP)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁹ “As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father [have personal knowledge of Him, be acquainted with, and understand Him; appreciate, heed, and cherish Him] and serve Him with a blameless heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and minds, and understands every intent and inclination of the thoughts. If you seek Him [inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him as your first and vital necessity] He will let you find Him; but if you abandon (turn away from) Him, He will reject you forever. ¹⁰ Consider this carefully, ….. Be courageous and strong and do it.”

APPLICATION: I had a boss that told me at least annually that my job was only successful if I had someone trained to continue it in my absence. The first once or twice this was said to me, I didn’t quite get it, but this is really a key point to the continued success of the ministry for which God has called us. David enjoyed a strong relationship with the God who created him and placed him in leadership of His chosen people, the Israelites. Imagine if the success of his leadership served only for a single lifetime. It would probably be fairly self-centered and would not be attractive to future generations to look back on in awe at what God did during the reign of king David. But this is the way it is in the ongoing work of the church today. It serves little purpose in us reflecting on years ago when the ministry of our church was booming and the worship services were filled to capacity, if today we struggle to keep the doors of the church opened. God’s ‘CHURCH’ has a bright and promising future – eternity in heaven with the Father, Son and The Holy Spirit, together with all the saints who have gone on before us. Can you even imagine that God would want His earthly church to be any different? But doesn’t it appear like we operate many of our churches today just for the current time, with the existing team of leaders and workers? When last asked by a church leader to serve in ministry at your church, did they use any of the things that David said to his son, Solomon? I have found that in most cases, we are needed to help out of desperation, or because no one else will do it, or because the particular ministry will shut down if we don’t find adequate workers to man it. What if we were approached by a leader with the heart that seeks to imitate David when he spoke to Solomon? Wouldn’t that help to show us that the task ahead is God honoring, God inspired, God powered, and being given to us by a Holy Spirit infused child of God with a desire to see the kingdom grow in numbers and/or maturity? Wouldn’t it seem that because the spiritual leader approaching you as so much already vested in the kingdom work at your church, that they are encouraging you to join in and celebrate with them as you serve? I believe that the advice David gave to Solomon in verse 10 is still very appropriate for kingdom workers today – consider the request to serve carefully. And if you feel God giving you the nudge to serve – be courageous, strong, and give it all you have, knowing that your efforts will be to glorify God as you introduce Him to others.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Serve my God, knowing that He knows everything about you, your thoughts and your actions. Be committed and courageous in every endeavor, knowing that it’s all for the glory of God!

PRAYER: Lord, in our own commitment, may we learn to lead others into a life of commitment to serving You with all their heart, soul and mind. May it all be for Your glory alone and for the sake of Your kingdom. It doesn’t matter what the numbers look like, or whether we are accredited for our church leading in baptisms or Sunday School attendance, but Lord, we simply want to see lives changed for Your purpose and for Your good. Teach us Lord to commit ourselves wholeheartedly to Your kingdom work here on earth, so that when we join You in glory, we will rejoice around Your throne with all who benefited from one solitary life fully devoted to our Master and Lord. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!