MAY 12, 2025 ~ FROM A PASTOR'S HEART

MAY 12 DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING:  JOHN 15:9-17

One of the greatest blessings in our following the Lord is that we get to be a part of what He is doing. Too often Christians see their faith merely as a duty or an obligation, when we should see it as the greatest privilege of all! Think about it, we get to be on the inside of all that the Lord is doing around us. He wants us to join Him in His great work. Serving the Lord should not be a drudgery out of a "have to" attitude, but it ought to be a joy to be able serve the Lord and His Kingdom's work. The way we were brought up in the church has a lot to do with our view of service. We either have a "have to" attitude, based on some religious sense of duty, or we have a "get to" attitude, based on a relationship with our Lord. It ought to thrill our socks off that Jesus would want us to join Him in what He is doing!

Near the end of Jesus' earthly ministry, he called those closest to Him together to tell them what was going to happen and to share with them His heart. What a great word He gave them, "I no longer call you servants, but I call you friends, for I now am letting you know what the Father is doing." Our Christian faith is not a faith of slavery, but it is a living, vital relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. All things changed for us in Christ. God was our Creator, now He is our Father. We were estranged from God, now we belong to Him. We walked around in ignorance concerning God's heart and plan, now all things have been revealed to us. We were spiritual orphans, now we belong to the family of God. We were going it alone, now we have the Holy Spirit to lead and guide. We were uninvolved with God's eternal plan and work, now we have the great privilege to be made a part of it. We are a blessed people and we need to be grateful that God has included us in what He is doing. We are God's children. Jesus said we are His friends...and now we know what God is doing and He wants us to be part of it. What a great privilege!

Please share your thoughts.