Thankful, Day Thirty-Five

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

Have we considered what it means to serve the Lord? This is not merely a nine-to-five job we're working for Jesus here. It's not about punching a clock, doing a duty, fulfilling obligations and responsibilities of employment. For those who have given their lives to Jesus, ours is a life to be lived totally and completely for Him. He is our Savior, our Lord, our Master. The Bible says we who are saved are no longer our own; we have been bought with a price.

Therefore we serve Him. We serve Him in whatever capacity He has assigned us, with whatever talents He has given us. Some are spokesmen, some are supporters, some are instructors, some are encouragers, some are organizers, some are ministers of mercy, some are gifted to help others, but all are servants of the Most High God. We do what we can, with what we have, while we have the chance.

And when the Lord gives us orders, instructions, assignments, those who are serving the Lord with gladness don't care how hard the task or how long it takes. They don't care who gets credit, or what the remuneration may be. All that matters is serving the Lord, and we might as well do it with gladness; to do otherwise is to displease God, make ourselves miserable, and miss out on the blessings of a job done with rejoicing.

I will serve the Lord with gladness, and be thankful that He has counted me worthy to engage in this ministry.

I will be thankful for the people He has entrusted to my care, and see to their needs as He uses them to minister to mine.

I will be thankful for the blessings I receive because of my obedience, continually rejoicing in the grace and provision of God!