Monday 11 February 2008

Monday Reading: Proverbs 29:19
 
Key Verse: Proverbs 29:19
19  A servant will not be corrected by words, for though he understands, he will not answer.
 
Devotion:
It is difficult to explain to someone who has never known a servant that there is a difference between a slave and a servant. A servant is a willing helper that is being paid for the work that they do whereas a slave is one who is not working willingly whether they are being paid or not. A servant (in the above context) is someone who has willingly come forward to fill the job vacancy. A servant can be anything from a home help to a qualified nurse – they are in the same position. But how that servant conducts themselves is of the greatest importance.
 
If you were to take on a position at a company and work with a willing heart and work honestly, then they will continue to want you to work for them. But if you were to be dishonest and never complete you work, you would not last long. A servant is expected to do a certain amount of work, which they should be willing to do honestly and willingly. It is when they start refusing to do that work that the master will become upset and start to rule with a rod instead of words – it may be the only thing that servant understands.
 
It is false thinking to think that a servant who has come forward for work knows better than the master what the master wants. Before long, the servant will understand what the master wants. If that servant will not do what that master wants, then the master is likely to get aggravated with the servant. We need to remember that we are servants of God. We are not His slaves. We need to remember that we should be willing workers in His camp. We need to remember that we have the knowledge of what is right and wrong – He has given us the bible so that we should learn. We need to do His work willingly. When He asks, we should reply in words as well as in will and work. We can live a wonderful life as Christ's servants – so long as we are willing to listen and obey!
 
Points to Ponder:
Would you take on a position as a servant?
 
Are you willing to be Christ's servant?