Seek God's Approval (2)

Hello everyone,

How are you doing on this day? I hope well and bubbling in the Lord.

Primary Text

“So Apollos and I should be looked upon as Christ’s servants who distribute God’s blessings by explaining God’s secrets. Now the most important thing about a servant is that he does just what his master tells him to. What about me? Have I been a good servant? Well, I don’t worry over what you think about this or what anyone else thinks. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. My conscience is clear, but even that isn’t final proof. It is the Lord Himself who must examine me and decide. So be careful not to jump to conclusions before the Lord returns as to whether someone is a good servant or not. When the Lord comes, he will turn on the light so that everyone can see exactly what each one of us is really like, deep down in our hearts. Then everyone will know why we have been doing the Lord’s work. At that time God will give to each one whatever praise is coming to him.” 2 Corinthians 4v1-5 (TLB)

Beloved, what has God asked you to do? What are you doing about what He has asked you to do? The text above tells us that the important thing about a servant is that he does what his master tells him to. Another version would say “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4v2, KJV). What are you doing with the talents that you have been given? Someone dear to me loves to mention the verse in Song of Solomon 1v6 (KJV) “Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.” Are you neglecting the vineyard you have been asked to keep for one reason or the other? If God has placed a certain work in your hands to do, then it is important, regardless of how “menial” or “mundane” or “common” it may seem. Regardless of how “undignified” it may look. If it is important to the Lord, then it is important, and as a steward you must be found faithful. It could be something to do in your home, marriage, work place, in the house of the Lord. Whatever it is you have been asked to do, you must do very well. In 1 Kings 20, the Lord was angry with king Ahab because he had let Ben-hadad, the king of Syria to go. In the text below, we see how a prophet came to relay this parable to him. Beloved, let us take seriously all that God has placed in our hands to do, and to do it well. As Ecclesiastes 9v10 (TLB) says “Whatever you do, do well, for in death, where you are going, there is no working or planning, or knowing, or understanding.”

Supplementary Text

“As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, “Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and someone came to me with a captive and said, ‘Guard this man. If he is missing, it will be your life for his life, or you must pay a talent of silver.’ While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.” That is your sentence,” the king of Israel said. “You have pronounced it yourself.” Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. He said to the king, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have set free a man I had determined should die. Therefore it is your life for his life, your people for his people’” (1 Kings 20v39-42, NIV).

Prayer

Father, I thank You for Your word this day. Father, forgive me for every time I have compared myself with another person. Forgive me for every time I have belittled the work that You have given me to do, seeking man’s approval instead of Yours, or comparing myself to others. I come to You Lord for grace to stay in my lane, to do what You have asked me to do and to do it extremely well and to do glory of Your name in Jesus name, amen.