Serving God According God

In my study of the word today, the Lord showed me afresh the way to serve Him. The book of Exodus gave me a new light in the way Moses and the children of Israel served Jehovah. The same principle can be applied in serving the Lord today. Some key points that stood out are "Willingness, Wisdom, and Obedience, Resulting in Glory." Or paraphrasing the key points, serving the Lord is serving with a "Willing and Wise Heart as Jehovah Has Commanded to the Glory of God."

Willing Heart:  Serving the Lord is out of a willing heart. The willingness is caused by the Lord when He calls His people to serve. Anyone who is genuinely called by the Lord will ultimately give in to the Lord's calling. Jonah was called by God. Though he tried to escape, ultimately he gave in. The better is to immediately obey the Lord's calling just like the disciples of the Lord Jesus. Those who are called will also definitely have a willing heart to serve the living God who called them.

Ex 35:5Take from among yourselves a heave offering to Jehovah; whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, the heave offering of Jehovah: gold and silver and bronze,

Ex 35:21And they came, every one whose heart lifted him up and everyone whose spirit made him willing, and brought the heave offering of Jehovah for the work of the Tent of Meeting and for all its service and for the holy garments.

Wise in Heart: Those who are genuinely called by the Lord will also be equipped, trained, and perfected by the Lord. The builder of the tabernacle and its furniture were all filled by the Spirit of wisdom to be able to work in all kinds of skills and workmanships. The God who called also is the God of wisdom who bestowed His called ones with the wisdom they need to accomplish His calling. There is no such thing as being called yet not knowing how to serve. Those who are called will also be equipped to serve effectively.

Ex 35:10And let every man who is wise in heart among you come and make all that Jehovah has commanded:

Ex 36:1And Bezalel and Oholiab and every man who is wise in heart, in whom Jehovah has put wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work for the service of the sanctuary, shall work according to all that Jehovah has commanded.

Ex 36:2And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every man who was wise in heart, in whose heart Jehovah had put wisdom, even everyone whose heart lifted him up to come to the work to do it.

Ex 36:8And all the wise in heart among those who did the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains, of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet strands, with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman. Bezalel made them.

As Jehovah had Commanded:  Those who are genuinely called and equipped will also obey all that Jehovah has commanded. Every instruction in the service will be carried out. Moses was called and he also obeyed every instruction given to him concerning the building of the tabernacle and its furniture. Everything was done exactly the way it was commanded to do. 

Ex 39:32Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting was finished, and the children of Israel did according to all that Jehovah had commanded Moses; so they did.

Ex 39:43And Moses saw all the work; and there it was — they had done it; just as Jehovah had commanded, so they had done. And Moses blessed them.

Ex 40:16Thus Moses did; according to all that Jehovah had commanded him, so he did. 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 32, 33.

A Pattern of the Serving Ones: The Bible also presents the pattern of such serving ones for us to follow today. These ones were called, were willing, were also filled with wisdom, and did the worked they were assigned to do exactly as they were commanded to do.

Ex 35:30And Moses said to the children of Israel, See, Jehovah has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.

Ex 35:31And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, and with knowledge, and with all kinds of workmanship;

Ex 35:32Even to fashion skillful designs, to work in gold and in silver and in bronze,

Ex 35:33And in the cutting of stones for setting and in the carving of wood, to work in all kinds of skillful workmanship.

Glory of God: The result of serving God accordingly to His calling is to the glory of God. Whoever serves faithfully according to God's calling will always bring glory to the God he serves. There will be the expression of God through such genuine serving ones.

Ex 40:34Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of Jehovah filled the tabernacle.

Ex 40:35And Moses was not able to enter the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud settled on it and the glory of Jehovah filled the tabernacle.

This is the way to serve the living God according to His ways where the serving ones find favor in the sight of God. To such serving ones, the presences of God will be their ways, and as they serve they will be resting. Outwardly there may be services, but inwardly there will be peace and rest as the Lord's yoke is easy and His burden is light.

Ex 33:13Now therefore if I have found favor in Your sight, please let me know now Your ways, that I may know You, so that I may continue to find favor in Your sight. Consider also that this nation is Your people.

Ex 33:14And He said, My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.

Mt 11:28Come to Me all who toil and are burdened, and I will give you rest.

Mt 11:29Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Mt 11:30For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. 

This is a marvelous lesson the Lord taught me afresh today. May the Lord continue to grace me as His called ones, serving willingly with a wise heart in full obedience to His words unto the glory of God!