No Service Too Small

Verse of the day: Judges 10:2, He (Tola) judged Israel twenty-three years; and he died and was buried in Shamir. 3 After him arose Jair, a Gileadite; and he judged Israel twenty-two years. 5 And Jair died and was buried in Camon.

In this chapter there are two judges whose stories are short and to the point. They were Tola and Jair. God raised up these two men and summed up their rule in just a few verses. Does this make their time of rule insignificant? No. Tola and Jair were raised up to lead Israel, and it appears that they did just that and God granted them and Israel a time of peace with those who otherwise might oppress them. We read nothing about their attempts to become something that God did not call them to be, and from that we can certainly apply the principle that we need to be faithful in whatever God calls us to, regardless of how small or great it may seem. God will reward our faithfulness in what may appear to be even the smallest of tasks. Are we being faithful in whatever it is God has called us to? Are we looking to usurp authority within the church body in order to gain prideful recognition, or are we willing to carry out those tasks which do not put us in the limelight or give us much notoriety? In Matthew 25, Jesus told the story of the servants and the talents. In this parable, a man was traveling to a far country and entrusted talents to his servants, giving them talents in accordance with their abilities. Upon his return, he examined what each servant did with the talents left to them. Here is what Jesus said in Matthew 25:20-30, So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ 26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Those of us who truly seek to serve the Lord, and try to do it faithfully, desire to hear those sweet words coming from Jesus’ lips, “Well, done, good and faithful servant.” Sadly, because far too many of us are chasing the things of this world, and God is nowhere near being the number one priority in our lives, it is more likely that far too many of God’s children are going to hear, “You wicked and lazy servant.” We MUST stop this very moment and examine our lives and service to the Lord, and ask ourselves, “Am I serving God in the way He has called me to serve Him?” “Am I trying to exalt myself by taking on a ministry God has not called me to, simply because it will earn me a pat on the back and notoriety?” “Am I even serving God at all or am I just here serving my own appetites and desires?” We must get in line with God’s plan for our lives and serve Him in the way He is calling us to before the day that we have to stand before Him and give an account for how we lived our earthly lives for Him (Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).