But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. Matthew 23:11-12.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
The narrow way is the path of perfection, protection, and joy, but it is also the path of greatness. But it is a greatness that is not esteemed by the worldly but is highly honored and esteemed by Me. It is the greatness of humble service. My Son came not to be served but to serve, to give His life to do good for you.
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:3-11.
I tell you to imitate Me as My dear children and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to Me as a fragrant aroma. Imitate Me as He did. He came to serve you and not to be served, to give His life for you. In seeing Him, you see Me. So if you are imitating Me, you are willing to serve the needs of others and not just your own.
If you look back at My conversations with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses, and so many others, such as Joshua, Gideon, Samuel, David, Solomon, and I could go on all the way to this day, you will find that I am always telling them what I will do for them and not what I need done for Me. I enlist their help to do mighty things on the earth that are for the deliverance and blessing of them and their kinsmen. When they ask how they can do these great and impossible things, I simply tell them I will be with them. I am there to serve them. I am there to take them to victory, prosperity, and health for themselves and for the nation.
I told Abraham I would make him a great nation before he had a child. I told him kings would be born of his line when it seemed that he would have no line at all. But I told him that I am El Shaddai, the God who is more than enough.
But if you will note the assignments I gave them always increased not only them but all peoples in their family, in their nation, and went out to all the earth.
My Son came to serve, I come to serve, and those I call, I call to serve. The greatest one among you is the one who serves the rest. For that one is like Me and like My Son. My Son served you and He served Me. He did not seek His own glory but Mine. What are you seeking? The one who seeks only himself brings himself to ruin (the flesh will die) but the one who seeks Me, I will glorify (the spirit is forever).
The devil was put in Eden as the guardian cherub for Adam and Eve, but he refused to serve and made them serve him by misrepresentation. He is the father of all scam artists and those that perpetrate identity theft.
The devil had no wish to serve. The holy angels that remained faithful to Me love to serve Me and the heirs of salvation. That is what they were created for and that is what they have joy doing.
You give Joseph, the son of Jacob, as an example of promotion and glory from Me but you should recall also that his life was one of service to those who had at one time enslaved and harmed him. His attitude of humble service, however, made it all turn out benefitting him and all who had contact with him. He served others all his life. First, he served his father and his brothers, then he served Potiphar, then he was a servant to the chief jailor, then he served Pharoah, then he served Egypt and the surrounding nations, feeding them in time of famine, and then, full circle, he served his father and the very brothers who had betrayed him, and supported them all their lives and supported their children as well. Joseph was a humble servant all his life but I prospered him exceedingly. He is an example of what Jesus told His disciples about the role of a leader in authority:
And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves. Luke 22:24-27.
Never consider yourself above serving. Jesus never did and He is seated with Me in glory since before the world began, from everlasting. He is the King of glory but He stooped to make you great. He washed His disciples’ feet. He spent nights praying for you. He looked always to care for, heal, feed, and bless those who came to Him. And He still continues to serve you and will forever as your great good Shepherd and High Priest, ever guiding, equipping, and interceding for you.
When you have an opportunity to serve, do so with all your heart as unto Me and not unto men. Give excellent service whether it be at your job, at your school, in your home, with your family, with you friends, or just out and about doing errands. Always be ready to see a need and fill it. If you give a cup of water to a prophet you will receive a prophet’s reward. Do you remember the widow that gave Elijah her last meal? She miraculously ate from that jar of flour and bit of olive oil for more than a year with no lack during a famine in Israel. And by taking Elijah into her home as I commanded, she had her son raised from the dead by him when he became ill and died during that time. She served My prophet, which was serving Me, and he in turn served her by My power and might flowing in his prophetic anointing.
Today, on the narrow way of perfection, I would like to set a tone for your life. It is service. Again I remind you that My Son came to serve not to be served and you are to be as He is in this world. When you offer your life to Me as a living sacrifice to serve others, this is true spiritual worship. Romans 12:1-2. Many realize that prayer and praise are worship but many do not realize that serving others is worship. The way that you serve Me is that you serve My people. I am in Heaven but your fellow believers are there with you and you can physically serve them in ways you cannot minister to Me, but I will count whatever you do to the least of My brothers as if you had done it to Me.
Know that I never forget your work and the love which you have shown toward My Name, in having served and in still serving My people. And I desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Hebrews 6:10-12.
Your labors in Me are never in vain. Do not think you uselessly spent you spend on others, your reward is with Me.
You brought nothing into this world when you came forth from your mother’s womb and you cannot take anything out with you in a material way to Heaven. So much of what you are doing and working so hard for will be dust in a few years and will not last for the ages to come. Think about the past year and evaluate how you spent the majority of your time. How much of what you did will be remembered or benefit you or others in the future? How about for eternity?
Naked you come from your mother’s womb and so you leave with nothing to carry in your hand, but there are things you can take with you and those for eternity. They will make your reward that lasts forever very great. Just as some stars shine brighter than others, so there are those in My Kingdom that shine brighter than others. All are filled with light and good but some have greater brilliance than others. And you can be among the brightest ones for it is open to anyone. Remember that in My Kingdom the least is the greatest and the greatest is the one that ministered unto and served others in this present age out of love.
I tell that those are blessed who die in the service of My Son for not only do they rest from their labors but their deeds done in My service follow them. Revelation 14:13. Do not retire from service before that. Keep working in serving and blessing others’ lives right up to the day you depart from this life to eternity. Let Me find you busy about Kingdom business when I come to take you with Me. Always be doings something useful in service of others. You are in active duty. I want you fruitful in old age. And you can be. You can always pray for others and fellowship with Me.
You have a call on your life. Every one of My children should be doing something useful for the Kingdom. Not necessarily as the ones you see as working in the church, such as pastors and administrators, but you are all called to serve the Body of Christ and to witness to the good news of the Kingdom. Do not just go to church to be entertained and leave, find some way to serve your fellow believers in your church (there are many things you can do from being a greeter, usher, Sunday school teacher, etc.) and there are infinite other possibilities, such as visiting the sick, going to those in prison, giving drink to the thirsty (even giving a cup of cold water to one of My followers is rewarded), feeding the hungry, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, practicing hospitality, and contributing to the to the needs of My people. You are blessed to be a blessing. Freely I have given you the gift of My Son, freely give others My Word and tell them about Jesus.
There is coming a day when your works will be shown and the fire of love will try the quality of your work. And if it comes out like gold, refined and not lost in the fire, then you will receive a reward. 1 Corinthians 3:12. And My rewards are exceedingly, abundantly above all you can think or imagine! I told Abraham that his reward would be very great. In fact, I told him I would be his reward! When you have Me you have everything.
You cannot even begin to imagine what I have prepared for those who love Me! I have to share it with you by My Holy Spirit in you and on you.
If you understand what I am telling you then you will never waste another moment. You do not have a day to waste. Every day, starting today, get up and say “Lord, what would you have me do today that would serve your people? What can I do for your Kingdom? How can I bless others? Here I am, send me!” And then do not just sit there. Get out there and serve. You have neighbors that need help with errands, you have nursing homes in your area where there are lonely people, you have people around you with depression that need someone to encourage them and offer them hope, you have friends that could use a card or letter that are miles away from you and are suffering the pain of divorce or unemployment, and you have hungry people on your streets that you could take to the nearest fast food concession and buy them a sandwich or a cup of juice or hot chocolate. There are people at your church or place of work or school that are going through trials that you could help by looking for solutions and praying with and for them. I could go on.
My people are all around you everywhere you go. And they need you. You can give a Word from Me to the weary that will rouse them, whether it be someone you know well or an acquaintance such as the teller in the bank, the clerk at the store, or the person behind you in line at the market. And what you have done goes with you into eternity.
My Son told you how to love your neighbor many years ago so do not act like it is a confusing command. He told you the parable of the good Samaritan. Remember? A man had been attacked by robbers who left him badly injured by the side of the road. Others passed by him, but one man, a Samaritan, stopped and had compassion on the man. He cleansed his wounds and took him to an inn where he would be cared for during the next few days until he recovered. The Samaritan paid for it all. He had served another’s needs by the sacrifice of his time and resources. And he saw it through to the end, he did not stop after merely cleansing the wounds of the attacked man but took him to be cared for until he recovered.
I told you to learn from this lesson and go and do the same—that is, treat others with compassion. Do to others what you would have them do to you.
And the good news is that whatever you do will be returned to you in abundance. Not only in eternity but beginning now in the present age. One hundred-fold in this life and eternal life with a great reward in the age to come. Mark 10:29.
I am a rewarder of those who diligently seek Me. Hebrews 11:6. Nothing you do is ever lost.
Pray that I will make you a blessing and show you the fullness of what you can do to help others, to help the church, to further My Kingdom, to do My work on earth, and to be a blessing so that what you do in this world will make a difference in countless lives for years to come and will follow you into eternity.
And every day, let your love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving Me, your Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of My people, practicing hospitality. Romans 12:9-13.
I love you. And where I am My servant will be. When you saw My Son you saw Me and where was He? He was going about doing good and healing all those who were oppressed by the devil. As I sent Him so He sends you. Go and do the same.