Adventures of Hodge

As I did my daily study this week I was reading through Luke and came across a scripture that I had never taken the time to underline before. It really changed my perspective on being a servant for Jesus.

Luke 17:10 "So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'"

Matthew Henry had this to say in his commentary on this verse, "The best servants of Christ, even when they do the best services, must humbly acknowledge that they are unprofitable servants; though they are not those unprofitable servants that bury their talents, and shall be cast into utter darkness, yet as to Christ, and any advantage that can accrue to him by their services, they are unprofitable; our goodness extendeth not unto God, nor if we are righteous is he the better, Ps. 16:2; Job 22:2; 35:7. God cannot be a gainer by our services, and therefore cannot be made a debtor by them. He has no need of us, nor can our services make any addition to his perfections. It becomes us therefore to call ourselves unprofitable servants, but to call his service a profitable service, for God is happy without us, but we are undone without him."

I especially like the last sentence that I have highlighted in blue. We tend to think that our contribution to things is so important that God has enlisted us because He needs us. But really, God has enlisted us in His service for our own sake, not for His. Don't get me wrong here, God will be glorified. Just as Matthew Henry has said, God doesn't need us but we are completely undone without Him. Just because we do something for God doesn't mean that He has to do something for us and if we expect Him to then we have just made that thing a sin. We are so privileged just to have a small part in God's big plan that we should expect nothing more than to serve.

However, in the next chapter, God promises to bless us for our service.

Luke 18: 27-30 "But he said, 'What is impossible with men is possible with God.' And Peter said, 'See, we have left our homes and followed you.' And he said to them, 'Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.'"

I think that the hardest part is to, just serve. Not to expect or profit. Not to be patted on the shoulder by God or man. JUST SERVE and consider it to be the greatest privilege I have ever known.

THE UPDATE:
Funds are at 94%.
Paperwork from Spain is in the mail.
Hopefully I will be applying for my visa in about 2 weeks.

I just need 4 people at $50 a month to get me to 100%!! Please consider giving.

Monthly contributions: https://worldventure.com/CommitmentForm.aspx?id=23205&aliaspath=/Give/Make-A-Commitment

Sincerely,
Theresa Hodge