Luke 17:7-10 Plowing in Service to God
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: October 9, 2018 Luke 17:7-10
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
“Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 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.’”
(Understanding the Text) The prime lesson here is humility. Jesus was saying that we are servants of God, not lords and rulers. We should not obey God and then act like it was an extraordinary service. Instead, we should think of obedience as a normal part of living. Too often we become proud of ourselves for doing God’s will and compare ourselves to others who seem to be doing less. This makes us think that we need special recognition for doing more than someone else. The reality is that we are all God’s servants and should be doing as He directs us without regard to anyone else. In the end, we serve because we love God, not because we want applause and high position.
(Revelation of God) At first, I looked at the parable as the master ordering me to work while he relaxed. I thought of an uncaring master who does not thank servants and expects tired people to serve him cheerfully. As a proud American, the idea of serving a master is abhorrent. However, when I consider that the Master that I serve lives to serve others and how He proved His character here on earth, I realize that the Master Himself does not lord it over His servants. He directs His servants to perform actions either for their own good or for the good of their fellow servants, but not for the good of God. Jesus was telling the parable from the expectations of a master toward servants to get His listeners to understand the role they should assume, not as a commentary on the character of the master. Our role as servant is stereotypical, but our Master is the opposite of all the stereotypes of how a Master acts and who He is. In fact, Jesus tells a different parable where the Master serves the servants. “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them” (Luke 12:37). Guzik’s commentary points out “We can’t put God into debt to us; anything we do for Him is small repayment for His work in our life.” and “When our hearts are right, we live and act as if we are happy to have the privilege of being allowed to serve God.”
(Understanding the Text) Paul basically repeats the lessons of Luke 7:1-10 in Galatians. “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor” (Galatians 6:1-4). The first part matches Luke 7:1-4. The last part refers to the verses studied today. Paul says to practice humility with each other and not compare ourselves to each other. Instead, we look at our own works and offer them to Jesus not as proof of doing something great or expecting to be over others, but as our normal service to our Master.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is not to judge that my service to God is of more worth than someone else’s service. God is not lucky to have me. I need to remain aware that my service is pitiful when compared to what God could do, but that in God’s eyes I am His, and He accepts my sincere desire to serve multiplying it where it lacks quantity and polishing it up where it lacks quality. My job is to be in readiness to serve Him when He calls. He does not leave me alone in my work. He is with me always in whatever task He asks me to perform. Give me the eyes of faith to see You with me wherever I go and whatever I do.