Luke 17:8

“Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve Me… and afterward thou shall eat and drink.”

What of Today’s Verse…

There are two aspects of rural industry–agricultural, ploughing, pastoral, keeping the sheep. Between them, they also cover our service to men for Christ’s sake. Some of us are engaged in ploughing. In the short wintry days, when the last leaves are failing from the trees and the skies are covered by dense and dripping clouds, we go forth with our plough, or bearing precious seed. In loneliness, depression, and fear, we tread athwart the furrows, and return crying: “Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?” Or we are called to keep the flock, seeking the straying, defending the attacked, tenderly nursing the sick and weak. In either of these avocations, we often become weary, and in that condition “come in from the field.”

When the spell of hard work is finished, how apt are we to relax! Surely, we think, we may give ourselves to the indulgence of natural and innocent appetite! But that is exactly what our Master does not intend, because He knows the subtle temptation of hours of ease. When we return from our labour, He does not say, “Go and sit down to meat,” but He meets us on the threshold, saying, “Make ready and serve Me, till I have eaten and drunken, and afterward thou shall eat and drink.”

From this parable, we are surely to infer that our Lord says in effect “You have been working for Me, but I have missed you. You have been so engaged in guiding the plough through the heavy clay, or watching against the lion and bear, that you have forgotten Me, and have allowed the hours to pass without speaking to Me a single word, or listening for My voice.”
When Christ’s work is done, let us turn to our Lord Himself and minister to Him; prepare for Him a feast of faith, love, and joy; of heart-melody and voice-music. After this, we may eat and drink. He will even gird Himself, and come forth to serve us (Joh_13:4-14).

Let us Pray:

We desire, dear Lord, that Thou should be more to us than Thy work. It is not enough for us to plough Thy fields or keep Thy sheep, we want to serve Thee most of all. Help us to keep Thee in view all day, and whatsoever our hands find to do, may we do it in love to Thyself. Amen.

Words of Wisdom
Joy

The joy of Spirit is my joy.

My greatest joy is my relationship with God and in knowing, affirming, and accepting God’s blessings. With my thoughts focused on the goodness of my Creator, I experience a joy that strengthens, encourages, and inspires me.

It is up to me to express my inner joy. As I do, it moves through me as waves of gladness that flow into my thoughts, conversations, and actions. There is a fullness of life that I embrace whenever I express the joy of Spirit within me as me.

I do not create my joy, nor does anyone else; there is a reservoir of sacred elation that is instilled within my soul by my Creator. The more joy I express the more gladness of Spirit rushes in to fill this reservoir and then spills over into my life.

“I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” –John 15:11