No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. Matthew 6:24.
And Jesus said unto them, “Why is it that ye were seeking Me? did you not know that in the things of my Father it behooves Me to be?” Luke 2:49.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God says:
A servant cannot serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. Matthew 6:24. Good servants, faithful servants, do what they are told by their master. But how do you know what your master is telling you to do, and how can you carry out his Will for you at the moment, if you are mixed up about who your master is? Know whom you serve and it simplifies things.
Today we continue our series of instructions on how to know My Will for your life with Life Lesson No. 6: “Know Whom you Serve.”
My apostle Paul was not confused about this. On board the ship headed for Rome that got caught in a terrible storm, Paul declared before all his fellow prisoners and the crew members that he belonged to Me, that he served Me, and that He trusted My Word of deliverance and perfect protection for everyone on board with him. He was not confused and it turned out just as I had promised, and even better, with miracles, signs and wonders taking place on the island where the boat shipwrecked. I make all things work together for good for My servants. My servants are those who love Me and are following the purpose for which I called them. They are the children who serve Me. Any parent knows there are children who serve and children who do not.
When those who have a heart to please Me and honor Me speak to one another about furthering My Kingdom and doing My Word, I give attention and hear it, and your words are written out in a book of remembrance for those who revere Me and who esteem My name that I keep before Me. And you will be Mine on the day that I take My special treasure as My own possession, and I will have compassion on you as a man has compassion on his own son who serves him. So I will distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves Me and one who does not serve Me. Malachi 3:16-18.
So how do you serve Me? By obeying My Word. Blessed is the good and faithful servant who carries out his Master’s wishes, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. Luke 12:41-48. And how do you know what that is? Simple, start with the instructions I give in My written Word and more will come. Doors will open and opportunities will be there. Be faithful in little things, such as not lying, gossiping, cheating, or allowing offense, anger, unforgiveness or bitterness to remain in your heart. Be busy about things that bless others and not idle, useless pursuits, busy but not busybodies. I blessed mankind to be fruitful, not idle. Do you recall the parable of the talents Jesus told you? I have given each of you gifts that you are to employ in serving one another as good stewards of My manifold grace. 1 Peter 4:10. In that parable the master gave each of his servants talents, to one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on a journey. Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them and gained five more talents. In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. But he who received the one talent went away and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. When the master returned and settled accounts with the servants, for those who had been fruitful with the talents he gave them, he said, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” But for the one that had done nothing but bury the talent given him the master had a far different response. That one tried to excuse himself by saying he did nothing because he was afraid of the master so he did nothing in case he would lose it. But his master called him a wicked, lazy slave, and took his talent away and gave it to the one with the ten talents, who would make good use of it. For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. Matthew 25:14-30. There is always something you can be doing that will be fruitful for My Kingdom. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing and give constant thanks is a good place to start and to lead others in also. Be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish but understand what My Will is. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourself and one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to Me; always giving thanks for all things in the name of your Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:15-20.
Jesus knew there were places each day He had assignments to do from Me. Remember when He went from Jerusalem to Galilee it is written that He “had to pass through Samaria.” John 4:4. Well, actually most Jewish people took another route so they would not pass through Samaria, but He knew He had to do so. He only did what I showed Him and said the Words I gave Him. And that is the life of a servant. But those who work for My glory, I exalt and glorify in due time, if you do not grow weary in well-doing. And as He passed through Samaria and came to Sychar, He sat down by a well at noon. The disciples with Him were hungry and wanted to go in the town and buy food but He stayed at the well. He knew how to follow divine direction. And sure enough, the woman I wanted Him to encourage and save for eternal life, came to draw water at the well. And you know the result, I gave Him a word of knowledge and a word of wisdom for her and that was enough. And that lost woman found her purpose and she ran immediately to share that salvation with all the people who would listen in the town. And as the woman ran to witness in the town before Jesus would leave, the disciples returned with food, and they urged Him to eat. Do you recall what He replied? “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.” John 4:32-34. Man does not live on bread alone, but on every Word that comes from My mouth. I will supply for your needs as you seek My Kingdom and righteousness.
And when Jesus was on the road through Jericho, there was a lost man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. Did you notice what Jesus said to Zaccheus? “For today I MUST stay at your house.” He had heard from Me. And that day Salvation came to Zaccheus’ house, for Jesus was sent to search out and save the lost. Luke 19:1-10.
Jesus, as you recall even from His words when He remained in the Temple at Jerusalem to talk with the elders when He was only twelve years old, was always about My affairs. Luke 2:49. He came to serve, not to be served. And He came to do My Will. It was His delight and My Will prospered in His hand. Isaiah 53:10. A good servant prospers his master and not just himself. But a good master rewards a good servant. Remember Joseph in Egypt? He always prospered his masters, from Potiphar to the chief jailer to Pharaoh. And as a result? He prospered also. Blessed to be a blessing.
Jesus is My beloved Son but I call Him My Servant from of old, Isaiah 52:13, Isaiah 53:11 (“My Servant will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities”), but it was too small a thing that He should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I also made Him a light to the nations so that My salvation reaches to the end of the earth. Isaiah 49:5-6. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, I will honor him. John 12:26.
In their letters, Peter, Paul, and James all call themselves My servants and they consider it a great honor to be such. I gave Moses the teaching of the bondservant. If any Israelite took a Hebrew slave he was to release him in the seventh year of service as a free man. Exodus 21:2. But if the slave plainly says that he loves his master, and will not go out as a free man, then his master was to bring him to Me, to the door or the doorpost, and pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently. Exodus 21:5-6. Do you see? Staying in My service in love and obedience for Me as your Lord opens your ear to hear My voice. What did Jesus say? “Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; My ears You have pierced; burnt offering and sin offering You have not required. Then I said, “Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of Me. I delight to do Your will, O My God; Your Law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:7-8.
Doing My Will requires the obedience of faith. What is that? The spirit of faith is that you believe in your heart and speak with your mouth. Doing My Will all begins with the thoughts of your heart and the words of your mouth. The disobedience of the majority of the people I redeemed out of the slavery of Egypt consisted of their thoughts and words that were stout against Mine. They did not enter My rest because of their unbelief, they did not mix faith with My promises. Caleb and Joshua, on the other hand, agreed with My promises and spoke that they would take the land I had promised to give them the conquest of. I said that they were of a different spirit and had followed Me fully. I called the others disobedient. And yet no one had done anything yet. It was all words spoken at the edge of the land I had promised them. But each got what they said. The thoughts and words came first, and I called that full obedience on the part of Caleb and Joshua. So My Will begins in your agreement with My Words. By YOUR words you are acquitted and by YOUR words you are condemned. Idle words are not in accordance with My Will for your life and you will be held accountable for every idle word you speak.
So how do you serve Me? With the tongue of a disciple. Read from the prophet Isaiah, “The Lord (Adonai) LORD (YHWH) has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord LORD has opened My ear; and I was not disobedient nor did I turn back.” Isaiah 50:5-6. These are the words of Jesus before His incarnation, but as He is so are you in this world. You are His body, His disciples if He is your Lord. I have given Him the tongue of disciples, all the members of His Body, the church, are to be speaking in unity with Him now that your head is seated at My right hand and you are seated there with Him. And that is how the first believers prayed, as one in union with Jesus, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and power. Tongues as one tongue. It all began when Pentecost was fulfilled and My Spirit fell upon the believers. One voice.
When I called Isaiah he was a man of unclean lips among a people of unclean lips, but I touched a coal of fire from My golden altar of incense (prayer) to his lips and purified his lips to speak My Words. Now the Holy Spirit falls upon believers as tongues of fire and gives you utterance of a new tongue to speak My Words as a mystery to be revealed.
I told My prophet Jeremiah, if you separate and take out the vile from the precious you can be My mouthpiece to My people. No man can tame his tongue on his own, you will use it to spout evil and cursing as well as good and blessing. But that not ought to be out of the same source. So your source must be that fountain of living water welling up within you—the Holy Spirit—that Jesus came to give you to drink. You must be filled with the Holy Spirit till there is no room for any other spirit and then you can speak pure words of the Spirit. And then you can sing with the psalmist: “My heart overflows with a good theme; I address my verses to the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.” Psalm 45:1. And I call that Psalm, a song of love. Why? Have you never read: “Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.” Genesis 29:20. When you are serving one you love, the service seems sweet.
Jesus serves you as your great good Shepherd and great High Priest. You serve Him by following Him, hearing His voice and refusing to follow the voice of the stranger. And you serve your great High Priest by your confession of faith, that is, speaking in complete agreement with His Words, which are Mine.
I have given you the tongue of a disciple. Remember what a disciple is from the definition given by Jesus to those who believed in Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31-32. Abide, dwell, continue, hear, meditate upon, speak, and keep My Words and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. Free to be the wonderful YOU I made you to be. And that is doing My Will and serving Me.
I love you. Know whom you serve and when you know you will actually find that He serves you. Have you never read, “Blessed are those servants whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them.” Luke 12:37.