Transformed – teen devotion – October 3, 2022
One truth shared: It is our duty and a delight to serve God because we know everything we have comes from him.
Then King David said to the whole assembly: “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God. With all my resources, I have provided for the temple of my God… But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you.”
1 Chronicles 29:1,2,14,16
Lord, Increase Our Faith that Delights in Duty
Being a Christian is not like a video game where you have to complete missions and objectives in order to level up. But when it comes to our faith life, we have to be careful not to treat it the same way, as in doing good to level up as a Christian. That kind of mentality can lead to frustration or laziness when serving God.
Take David for an example. Think of the level of Christian he would have been. He slayed Goliath, became king of Israel. He led God’s people to become a great empire. He wrote a large section of the Bible. And now, here is David at the end of his life. He is collecting a crazy amount of money and materials to build God a temple. That would make him at least a level 99 Christian, yet he says things like, “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this?” And “I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.”
Even after all of the good things David had done for God, it was still a delight for him to serve God because it came from faith. David recognized the awesomeness, patience, love, mercy, and generosity God had shown him in his life. David wasn’t serving God to get to level 100 Christian. David was delighted to serve God because God had already made him a perfect level 100 Christian through faith. David didn’t have to earn it. David simply recognized the gift of forgiveness and heaven God had given to him. And so, no matter how many times David served God or no matter how difficult it was to do so, David delighted to serve God.
God has made you also level 100 Christian—forgiven, holy, and perfect in God’s sight. Let this truth make your duty to serve God a delight and not a burden.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for opening my eyes to delight in serving you. Recognizing that everything I have was given by you, may I count it a privilege to imitate my Savior’s service and give myself in service to you and others. Amen.
