Tuesday January 25, 2011
Theme: Rethink: Serving
Weekend Music links on iTunes: All to You - Lincoln Brewster, Today is the Day - Lincoln Brewster, Hosanna - Hillsong, I Will Follow - Chris Tomlin
Read: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4; Romans 8:28
Think: Pastor Ben taught us this last weekend about serving. As I began to look for different areas to serve, I was reminded of 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. This verse teaches us that God comforts us in all our tribulation, so that we can then be a comfort to others.
Whenever I’ve gone through trouble and been delivered, I have had such compassion for others in trouble. This compassion uniquely qualifies us to minister and serve certain people in specific situations. It gives us credibility with them, our witness is meaningful for them, and they can receive from us in ways that would be hard for them to receive from others who haven’t experienced their troubles.
Moses was uniquely qualified to minister to Pharaoh and the Israelites. Paul was uniquely qualified to minister to the Romans and gentiles. Once you’ve been delivered and healed, you may be uniquely qualified to serve and minister to addicts, sufferers of depression, or even single parents.
I don’t believe that God causes our troubles, but as Romans 8:28 says, he is able to work all things for our good. Through this process, we are made able and effective servants.
Do: Remember the troubles that God has brought you through. Remember how he has healed and strengthened you in the process. Look around you and see if there is anyone or any situation where you can bring comfort as you were comforted.
Pray: Father, I thank you for your comfort in my afflictions. Help me to serve that comfort up to others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.