Open Heavens Devotional For Tuesday, June 17, 2014: REASONABLE SERVICE

TOPIC: REASONABLE SERVICE

Memorise: The gold for things of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers. And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the LORD?
1 Chronicles 29:5

Read: Hebrews 7:26-28  

26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made
    higher than the heavens;
27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the
     people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.
28 For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since       
     the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

Message 
Service is good, but no service is acceptable before God without the servant working with Him. Working with God is serious business. It requires consecration i.e. setting apart an object or person to the worship and service of God. For a true believer in Christ, this is a life of service and worship that follows our commitment to take up our cross and follow the Lord Jesus. This denotes giving ourselves up to Christ as persons bought with a price and no longer our own. 1 Peter 1:18-19 says,

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” 

  Consecration is not necessarily volunteering for full-time service, though that might come up along the line. In Romans 12:1-3, we learn that there are three characteristics of consecration. These are:

1. Consecration is a voluntary decision.
2. Consecration is a personal decision.
3. Consecration is a sacrificial decision.

These three elements of consecration involve two actions. The first is giving up the will or sacrificing one’s will to God (Hebrews 10:7). The second action is God’s acceptance of the sacrifice which has been made (Romans 12:1). When you give up your will for God’s will, you will hear the voice of God (Act 13:2), set yourself apart from sins and devote yourself and your substance to God (Isaiah 52:11, Micah 4:13). God expects that a believer’s total life would be consecrated to the Lord Jesus Christ. This includes the feet to carry the gospel everywhere, the hands to help victims of circumstance, the ears to hear the cries of demonically and economically oppressed people and the use of time for the glory of God (Ephesians 5:16). 

Consecration results in a life governed by the wisdom of God and controlled by the Holy Spirit. It results in a joyous and happy life of victory over sin, self and Satan. God should come before gold. Your life is not meant to be spent on self-indulgence and career advancement alone. Your life is a privilege and a responsibility to be lived according to the will of God through consecration. This is your reasonable service.

  Key Point: Our service becomes acceptable when we consecrate our all to God. 

Bible in a year: Leviticus 15-16; Psalm 127-128

Source: Open Heavens Devotional, Vol. 14, 2014 by Pastor E.A Adeboye