Posted:
Based on “iServe” by Pastor Dean Corns; 7/25-26/09,
Message #DF141;
Daily Devotional #5 -
“Land Squarely In the Boat”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. (Romans 12: 9-11)
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): What beautiful instructions our loving God provides to us in His Word. Our Lord wisely tells us to never lack zeal. Zeal can be defined as an eagerness and ardent interest in pursuit of something. He also speaks of maintaining our spiritual fervor. Fervor can be defined as an intensity of feeling or expression; a passion. That is exactly how He wants us to live life, with one addition. The most vital aspect of those three verses is contained in the last three words: serving the Lord. Yes, we can have tremendous passion and eagerness in our daily lives. A lawn service owner can strive to be the best in his field. He can focus on being dependable, reliable, friendly, and wise with his money, each and every day. A mother can wake up every day focused on providing her children with a solid education and edifying extracurricular activities and on teaching respect and manners. Yet, if a focus on our Lord and Savior is not at the center of that tremendous amount of zeal and fervor, it is essentially worthless and unfortunately wasted. As Christ followers, we are called to stay focused on Jesus. …If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:11) If the Lord is not at the center of what we do, we have basically missed the boat and instead have jumped into a sea of water. This sea may appear to be calm, relaxing, and fulfilling, but in actuality, nothing can be further from the truth. We must aim for and land squarely in the Lord’s boat.
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): So how exactly can we apply this to our daily lives? How does all of this work in the real world? First and foremost, be faithful in your daily quiet time, alone with God. Read His Word. Speak to Him and then listen. Ask for His strength. Second, be mindful to keep your eyes focused on glorifying the Lord in all that you do (Colossians 3:17). That is not something that comes from your head, but from your heart. And if that desire is not in your heart, be honest with God, because He already knows, and He wants to help you. He wants to live in your heart. So ask Him into your heart so you may begin a wonderful life, focused on serving Him. Such a life brings true fulfillment. And most importantly, such a life brings honor and glory to our almighty God. That, my friends, is what life is really all about.
Cultivating (Additional Reading): 1 Corinthians 12
