It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:26-28, AMP)
Lord, please teach me what it means to be Your servant. Please give me a greater sense of humility.
They were now on the way up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were filled with awe, and the people following behind were overwhelmed with fear. (Mark 10:32, NLT)
Lord, the closer I walk with You the more I live in awe of You. The closer I get to You through reading the Word and applying it to my life, the more secure I feel in the steps I take. I find comfort in Your peace that passes all understanding. I find strength in the words You have written to me. I find joy in Your great faithfulness. And I find hope in all Your promises. The closer I get to You the more my life takes on meaning and purpose.
When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.
When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’ But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’ So the last shall be first, and the first last.” ~Matthew 20:10-16 (NASB)
Dear Father God, I pray that I will not be distracted by what You do for others. May I not be jealous and may I not covet what You give to anyone. May I rejoice in what I’ve been given and may I never begrudge anyone anything.
Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, “There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: ‘My rights are being violated. Protect me!’
“He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, ‘I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won’t quit badgering me, I’d better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I’m going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding.’”
Then the Master said, “Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?” ~Luke 18:1-8 (MSG)
Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. (Luke 17:11-14)
Dear Father God, I have really come to appreciate the three words “as they went”. It was as the 10 lepers walked out their faith that they received the miracle. It was as they were going on with life that they experienced something that would forever change them. Lord, please help me to remember that life doesn’t stop when things are tough. Life keeps right on going. But it’s when I put feet to my faith that I see huge answers to prayer. Read more
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