August 12th 2018
As You Plan Each Day’s Activities, Be Sure What You Are Planning To Do Can Be Devoted To The Lord!
John 13:14-15 (NIV)
Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
Washing the feet of travelers in Jesus time was considered one of the lowest possible tasks, and thus was usually performed by a slave. So, when Jesus commenced with washing His disciples’ feet, Jesus was performing the lowest of tasks. Jesus was demonstrating a willingness to do the most menial tasks for His brothers and sisters, who chose to follow Him. When Jesus performed this task, He also included Judas Iscariot! Jesus already knew that Judas would betray Him, but he was still included in this process. Today there is little need for foot washing, as there was in Jesus time walking around on this earth. The point here is not being handled literally but just to indicate the need for current followers of Jesus to be ready to serve others by being willing to do tasks usually not a normal part of our daily life.
In our busy lives we may sometimes encounter someone who needs our help, but we hesitate to help them. This is likely experienced when someone we do not know asks us for money. This recently happened to me, and the result was I did not give the person the money they asked for! The amount they asked for was not a burden to me, but I still refused. Could this have been a test? Was this person just someone experiencing a down time in their life and needing my help? Was this person going to use this money to buy apparel to wear to a job interview, as they claimed? My suspicious mind told me no! As followers of Jesus Christ we should be less suspicious or more trusting of other members of mankind. If I had given him the money my needs would still have been met, and maybe his need for that day would have been met too! The writer of Hebrews made an interesting comment about entertaining or helping strangers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:2). We are not in the position to judge the needs of others!
Some people were following Jesus around not just to hear Him speak, but because of the free lunches He offered. Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. (John 6:26). Jesus fed thousands of people with just the small lunch of a boy who was part of the crowd. Therefore, these people started to follow Him. Why do you claim to follow Jesus? Do you claim to follow Jesus? Followers of Jesus seek mercy, not justice! Your salvation is a free gift, purchased by the blood Christ shed for you! Jesus told these people who were following Him, and us, what we should be doing to follow Him. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." (John 6:27-29)
It is true living on this earth requires us to have food to eat, or we will die of starvation! Jesus knew this too, but He was trying to tell these people that He was offering them food required for them to claim their spot in eternity that was more important than their earthly food. To get this free food we must do some work too. Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." Are you working on becoming more Christ-like every day? Are you allowing time to earn this food for eternal living with Jesus? Paul when writing to the church in Philippi, wrote about “working out your salvation.” This is not a reference to working to earn your salvation, but to a process of working to gain spiritual growth and development.
In context here is what Paul wrote:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed— not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Philippians 2:6-13)
Finding time to devote to Bible study every day is sometimes difficult and allowing time to do some form of helping other people by being a servant is difficult as there does not seem to be time available to do so. From the Old Testament we get a clue about having time to do good, by devoting everything we do to God. Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. (Proverbs 16:3). Of course, you cannot devote evil things we do to the Lord. This assumes we are planning all our efforts toward doing good. So, this is a good guideline for our lives, so we will plan to do good.
As you plan each day’s activities, be sure what you are planning to do can be devoted to the Lord!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
John 13:14-15 (NIV)
Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
Washing the feet of travelers in Jesus time was considered one of the lowest possible tasks, and thus was usually performed by a slave. So, when Jesus commenced with washing His disciples’ feet, Jesus was performing the lowest of tasks. Jesus was demonstrating a willingness to do the most menial tasks for His brothers and sisters, who chose to follow Him. When Jesus performed this task, He also included Judas Iscariot! Jesus already knew that Judas would betray Him, but he was still included in this process. Today there is little need for foot washing, as there was in Jesus time walking around on this earth. The point here is not being handled literally but just to indicate the need for current followers of Jesus to be ready to serve others by being willing to do tasks usually not a normal part of our daily life.
In our busy lives we may sometimes encounter someone who needs our help, but we hesitate to help them. This is likely experienced when someone we do not know asks us for money. This recently happened to me, and the result was I did not give the person the money they asked for! The amount they asked for was not a burden to me, but I still refused. Could this have been a test? Was this person just someone experiencing a down time in their life and needing my help? Was this person going to use this money to buy apparel to wear to a job interview, as they claimed? My suspicious mind told me no! As followers of Jesus Christ we should be less suspicious or more trusting of other members of mankind. If I had given him the money my needs would still have been met, and maybe his need for that day would have been met too! The writer of Hebrews made an interesting comment about entertaining or helping strangers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:2). We are not in the position to judge the needs of others!
Some people were following Jesus around not just to hear Him speak, but because of the free lunches He offered. Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. (John 6:26). Jesus fed thousands of people with just the small lunch of a boy who was part of the crowd. Therefore, these people started to follow Him. Why do you claim to follow Jesus? Do you claim to follow Jesus? Followers of Jesus seek mercy, not justice! Your salvation is a free gift, purchased by the blood Christ shed for you! Jesus told these people who were following Him, and us, what we should be doing to follow Him. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." (John 6:27-29)
It is true living on this earth requires us to have food to eat, or we will die of starvation! Jesus knew this too, but He was trying to tell these people that He was offering them food required for them to claim their spot in eternity that was more important than their earthly food. To get this free food we must do some work too. Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." Are you working on becoming more Christ-like every day? Are you allowing time to earn this food for eternal living with Jesus? Paul when writing to the church in Philippi, wrote about “working out your salvation.” This is not a reference to working to earn your salvation, but to a process of working to gain spiritual growth and development.
In context here is what Paul wrote:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed— not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Philippians 2:6-13)
Finding time to devote to Bible study every day is sometimes difficult and allowing time to do some form of helping other people by being a servant is difficult as there does not seem to be time available to do so. From the Old Testament we get a clue about having time to do good, by devoting everything we do to God. Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. (Proverbs 16:3). Of course, you cannot devote evil things we do to the Lord. This assumes we are planning all our efforts toward doing good. So, this is a good guideline for our lives, so we will plan to do good.
As you plan each day’s activities, be sure what you are planning to do can be devoted to the Lord!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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