“Fix these words of mine in your hearts . . . tie them as symbols on your hands” Deuteronomy 11:18

Slow Down & Serve

Today's Verse

31When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne.32All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.33He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.34Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.35For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in,36I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’37Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink?38When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?39When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’40And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’41Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.42For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink,43I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after Me.’44And they too will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’45Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’46And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Matthew 25:31–46 · BSB

The Devotion

Confession: sometimes when I see people in need, I ask myself if they really deserve my help. Isn’t that human nature? We want to be the judge. Also, I get really frustrated when people don’t appreciate or say “thank you” for my help.

But the truth is, our service to other people isn’t really done for them in the first place. It’s done for Jesus. Jesus said “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40 CSB).

When I read this verse, I used to visualize a homeless person out begging by an underpass. Surely they are the least of these. Now, I’ve had a paradigm shift. Turns out, the least of these isn’t the homeless person with a cardboard sign.

The least of these is me.

I’m the one who was dead in sin covered up in the filthy rags of my own self-righteousness.

I’m the one who had nothing good to offer God.

The only thing I gave Him was the sin that made my salvation necessary.

I’m beginning to see that I don’t determine who’s worthy or not, because I certainly wasn’t worthy. When my feet were filthy from walking in sin, Jesus washed my feet!

So, when you set out to serve someone, don’t ask: do they deserve it? None of us do. It’s not done for them anyways. It’s done for Him.

Serving is done to Jesus.

This means that my eyes are on Jesus. I’m focused on Him. Walking with Him day by day, I stay on the lookout for divine appointments.

A servant doesn’t concern himself too much with his own needs. Servants are present, mindful, humble, observant, looking for divine appointments.

Wherever you are, be all there.

A Prayer for Today

Lord, help me look at my life through Your eyes today. Help me serve others because You have forgiven and cleansed me from my sin, whether they deserve it or not. Help me realize that the least of these is actually me, and help me serve and follow You out of the overflow of a thriving personal relationship with You. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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