At His Mercy

"To you I lift up my eyes,

O you who are enthroned in the heavens!

Behold, as the eyes of servants

look to the hand of their master,

 as the eyes of a maidservant

to the hand of her mistress,

so our eyes look to the LORD our God,

till he has mercy upon us."

Psalm 123:1-2 ESV

Life is fragile, brief and oh-so delicate.  One minute I'm here, the next my life is a distant memory.  As the prophet Isaiah reminds me, "All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.  The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass."  (Isaiah 40:6b-7)  No matter how secure I may feel, how much effort I put into preserving my life, I am completely at the mercy of God; only He knows my fate.

Whether I recognize it or not, my life is in God's hands, a good place to be once I accept it.  When I submit to His sovereign power, the way I live my life will change.

Servant.  A slave has no life of his own for he is bought by a master.  Therefore, he must do his master's bidding while being completely dependent upon him for his provision. Every moment of his life is spent focused on the will of his master.  The moment he became a slave, his own rights and liberties went out the window for now his attentions must be trained on fulfilling the wishes of the one who owns him. 

Likewise, once I realize I am a servant of God's and submit myself to His loving, gentle Spirit, I will no longer cater to my own needs but look to His plan for my life. It will no longer be about me and my desires, my rights, my freedoms but rather about my Master's preferences.  What is it that He wants from me in this moment?  What is His will for my life?  How can I best represent Him in the way I respond to this hardship?

As one who is at God's mercy, I consider myself His servant, bought with a price so I can honor Him in the way I live my life (1 Corinthians 6:20).

Maidservant.  She exists to assist her mistress, tending to her every whim and desire.  A maidservant must also be ready at any moment to spring into action.  When her mistress calls, whether it be first thing in the morning or in the middle of the night, she is expected to be prepared to perform any task necessary to please her mistress.

In a similar way, I can think of myself as a maidservant, taking on the qualities that make a helpful attendant.  It's easy for me to put certain parameters around what I'm willing to do, or the times I'm available for service, but if I'm to be truly submitted to God and His will, it will mean I must take on the mindset of a maidservant.  It is for Him and His glory that I exist, but I can rest easy in the knowledge that He will never take advantage of my subservience.

As one who is at God's mercy, I consider myself His maidservant, ready and willing to accomplish whatever He calls me to do whenever He calls me to do it.

God-focus.  Servants are entirely master-focused.  In order to do their job successfully, and thus preserve their life, they must learn to set aside their own wants and desires and keep their eyes trained on the one for whom they work.  It takes humility to submit to such selfless service.

While God does not force me to submit to His will, doing so promises much blessing and building up of a storehouse full of treasures in heaven.  It may not seem a very prestigious position to hold, but in God's upside-down, backwards system of values, the meek shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5) and anyone who wants to be considered great must be a servant (Matthew 20:26-28).

As one who is at God's mercy, my focus must be trained on God and His will.

It can be scary to put myself at the mercy of another, especially if I'm not sure if they can be trusted with my life.  When it comes to God, however, I can place my life in His hands, knowing without a doubt that He will not take advantage of me nor fail to provide for every need.  Therefore, I can operate as His servant who has been bought at a price, a maidservant who is always ready to do His bidding, and maintain a God-focus instead of putting myself and my rights first.  In these ways, being at God's mercy is a very good place to be!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God with every part of my life.

When do I promote myself, thinking I'll never amount to anything unless I defend my rights and stimulate my own success?

How do I fail to make God's will my top priority?

      

What a King!

"They said to him,

'You are old,

and your sons do not follow your ways;

now appoint a king to lead us,

such as all the other nations have.'

But when they said,

'Give us a king to lead us,'

this displeased Samuel;

so he prayed to the LORD.

And the LORD told him:

'Listen to all that the people are saying to you;

it is not you they have rejected,

but they have rejected me as their king.'"

1 Samuel 8:5,7

She wanted to be married more than anything in the world.  She pined over wedding magazines, visualizing the magic of her own ceremony.  Her free time was spent fantasizing about married life, dreaming about all it's wonderful attributes.  There was not a day that went by that she didn't think about how much better her life would be once she had a husband to take care of her.  What could be better than being married?

Unfortunately, she had never dated a man who met her standards and didn't even know a suitable candidate.  Therefore, in her desperation, she settled for the first man who proposed to her.  Soon, she found out her dreams were shattered, the life she imagined had transformed into a living hell and her once-hoped-for perfect married life was all a sham.  She married a man who didn't cherish her as the treasure she is.

In a similar way, the people of Israel wanted a king so they could be like the rest of the world.  They somehow thought anointing a mere man as their leader would make their lives better.  In so doing, they rejected God as their rightful King.  Therefore, God gave them what they wanted, warning them of a king's oppressive, self-serving ways.  Most of the time, the things we yearn for are not all they are cracked up to be.

In contrast to what can be expected of earthly kings, Jesus, the King of all kings, is quite the opposite. He will exceed my wildest expectations and will never let me down.  Here is what I can anticipate from His leadership in my life.

Savior

I could tell from the moment he took his post that he had an agenda.  Instead of listening to peoples' concerns, he spent time dropping names of local officials, trying to impress others with his connections.  In the place of taking notes on what he needed to do, he arrogantly thought he could remember anything that was important, often forgetting the minor details which were only trivial to him.  While I appreciated his unusual approach to solving problems, his solutions were often more about getting attention than helping people.  It was clear our new community leader was using this elected post as a stepping stone to higher office.

Most earthly leaders have at least some selfish ambition.  As a result, the people they are supposed to be serving end up becoming victims of their agenda.  Thankfully, Jesus is not this kind of King.  Instead of coming to fulfill the expected plan of a righteous king, which would be to reign with an iron fist and condemn those who don't measure up, He came to save the lost. (John 3:17) His highest intention, as a part of His father's plan, was to seek those who belonged to Him, offering a way of salvation for them.

This is the heart of Jesus.  As a result, when the guilt is heavy upon me, weighing me down as I ponder all the ways I fall short, Jesus reminds me of the way of freedom He provided through His death on the cross.  (John 8:36)

When I tire myself out with the exertion of trying to live up to God's perfect standard, Jesus saves me from the gospel of works, ushering me into the throne room of His Father where I find all the grace and mercy His death made possible.  (Ephesians 2:8-9, Hebrews 4:14-16)

When my broken heart keeps me from living the abundant life God intended for me, Jesus makes me whole again, opening up the spigot that delivers an abundance of His living water. (John 10:10, Isaiah 61:1, John 4:14)

The King of kings reigns in my life as a Savior.

Servant

Chauffeuring, cleaning, landscaping, laundry, childcare.  These are all areas of responsibility which are often turned over to a professional service once a person reaches a certain level of status.  To the human mind, success comes with many benefits and one of the best advantages is the luxury of being served.  We all have some innate desire to be taken care of by another:  It makes me feel important and special.

While my flesh may yearn for this kind of treatment, Jesus did not come to be served.  Even though His rightful place is to reign on a throne, He lowered Himself to the position of a servant, willingly coming to serve those He created.  (Mark 10:45, Philippians 2:6-7)

As a result, Jesus is a gentle King who leads by example.  Instead of demanding perfection from His subjects, He wants nothing more than to spend time with me, valuing the relationship we share more than what He can get out of me.  Therefore, I need not fear His lordship, but can welcome Him into even the darkest parts of my life where He will lovingly wash me white as snow.

While it may be scary to give such absolute control to an earthly king, Jesus is a King who looks out for my best interest, even if that means taking me through difficult times.  As I walk beside Him on the rocky trail, He uses the trials to gently conform me into His own image. (Romans 8:28-29) I can trust His servant-heart in all things.

A human king is not always available, needing time to tend to his own affairs.  Jesus, however, is the kind of leader who never leaves me but is always ready to help in times of trouble.  Therefore, I have nothing to fear and will never be left to my own devices.  (Psalm 46:1-3)

The King of kings reigns in my life as a servant.

Humble

He had every right to be angry.  The very ones who He created were now spitting upon Him, scorning Him, and heaping their unholy wrath upon Him.  The One who was innocent of any sin, perfect in every way, was sentenced to die a criminal's death.  Even though there were no grounds for this verdict, He received it anyway.  

Still, He never once spoke out in His own defense.  He willingly went with His captors, never struggling against their restraints.  Even though He could have sent legions of angels to rescue Him, He submitted to their unjust, cruel treatment.

Jesus is the epitome of humility.  Despite the fact that He deserves all glory and honor, He lowered Himself to the position of a man and obeyed his Father even unto death.  (Philippians 2:5-8)

While a human king demands attention, Jesus does not.  He waits for me to recognize my need for Him, never begging or pleading with me in desperation.  Instead, He stands patiently knocking at the door of my heart, waiting for me to invite Him in.  (Revelation 3:20)

It may be the practice of earthly rulers to take what they think is rightfully theirs, but Jesus does not do so.  Even though He bought my life with a price, He gives me free reign, allowing me to choose how to use the body which belongs to Him.  (1 Corinthians 6:20)

Even though most of the leaders I know make it their practice to take, Jesus is known for giving.  He freely offers peace, victory and power over sin and a certificate of adoption into His family.  (John 14:27, 1 Corinthians 15:56, Romans 8:37, 1 John 3:1)

The King of kings reigns in my life humbly.

When the Israelites demanded a king so they could be like everyone else, they didn't really know for what they were asking.  What they would receive was far inferior to what God gives us through his Son Jesus Christ.  When I invite Him to reign over my life as my King, I will find He is a Savior, a Servant and filled with humility.  There is no other ruler like Jesus.  What a King He is!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can give Jesus all the honor and glory He deserves instead of falling into the ways of this world who fails to see His splendor.

How do I expect to be served instead of taking after my King who is a servant at heart?

When do I forget that Jesus is patiently waiting for me to invite Him into the intimate parts of my life, instead leaving Him to stand on the outside?

Why am I Here?

"For even the Son of Man 

did not come to be served, 

but to serve, 

and to give his life 

as a ransom for many."

Matthew 10:45

Jesus did not have an identity problem.  He knew His purpose and the position He chose in this world and this knowledge shaped His life as a man.  When He entered His creation as the long awaited Messiah, many were expecting a King who would be exalted over all the nations and a Savior who would save them from their worldly troubles.  What they didn't expect was the reality of God's plan for the King of Kings and Savior of the world!

Servant  I learned how to serve my husband by watching my younger sister in her marriage.  When it's time to eat, she dishes him up first, no matter how hungry she is.  She thinks of little ways to serve him throughout the day by anticipating his needs while he's at work, or getting certain chores done that she knows are important to him.  She possesses the heart of a servant.     Jesus possessed this same spirit.  He chose to lower Himself to the position of a subordinate in order to please His Father.  He did not expect to be treated in a certain way, but instead humbled Himself for the sake of those He loves: His Father and His people.  In this season of giving that generates incredible stress and high expectations, how can I humble myself for the sake of my Father and those He has placed around me?

Donor  I have heard stories of people who have given vital organs, such as a kidney, to a complete stranger in order that they might live.  These kinds of stories always make the news because they are so rare, but there is always some kind of pay off for the donor.  It could be simply a feeling of goodwill that they receive as a result of this selfless gesture, or it could help them move beyond some feelings of guilt for past wrongs that they have committed.  Whatever the reason, humans are incapable of selfless sacrifice in and of their own strength.  Jesus, however, gave His life selflessly and He deserves to make the front page headlines each and every day.  He was only thinking of His love for His Father and His desire to obey Him, as well as His love for mankind who is powerless to repair his broken relationship with God the Father.  Jesus gave His life so that I might live, and live a full and meaningful life, not just an existence. "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." (I Peter 2:24)  Christmas has become a time when I focus on meeting expectations and creating memories for my family and friends.  How is this honoring the sacrifice Jesus made for me?  I am redeemed by His blood and are free to live for Him.  In living for Jesus, all other pressures will fall away until He is all that remains.

This Christmas season I will remember the reality of Jesus.  The King of Kings became a servant, and the Savior of the world appeared as a life-giving donor.  This did not meet the expectations of the people, but it was just as God had planned and this plan can change the way I view my purpose as His child.

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I can focus on God's plan for me and not on the expectations I have for myself, or that others may hold over me.

How do I minimize the sacrifice Jesus made for me, especially as I celebrate Christmas?

Where am I exalting myself above those around me in the attitude I carry?