August 5, 2024
Melissa Valerio
“At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister to him and to bless in his name, to this day.” Deuteronomy 10:8 RSV
This verse got me thinking “Minister to the Lord? What does He mean by that? Why would man need to minister to God?” So, then I looked up the meaning of minister and here’s what Mirriam-Webster said: “to give aid or service” (verb). This means by helping God do His work, we are ministering to Him. Then I found this passage in 1 Samuel 3: “Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.” (v.1 RSV) Samuel was said here to be ministering to the Lord under Eli (his mentor). Again, this idea of doing the Lord’s work is a form of ministering to Him. In the New Testament, we see Jesus being ministered to, as well: “And it came to pass soon afterwards, that he went about through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good tidings of the kingdom of God, and with him the twelve, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary that was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna the wife of Chuzas Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, who ministered unto them of their substance.” (Luke 8:1-3 ASV) What an honor! How can we minister to Jesus today? Here are some ways I thought of:
- By providing for someone’s needs. 1 John 3:17 advises us that if we have worldly goods, see someone in need, yet choose not to help them, we do not have God’s love in us.
- By praying on behalf of someone else. Acts 12:5 shows us that praying for others helps activate God’s plan for them.
- By praising the Lord. 1 Chronicles 23:5 gives us insight on how significant praise is to God. He appointed 4,000 men to praise Him constantly.
- By your presence. Luke 8:1-3 tells us that part of ministry involves being with the Lord. Abide in Him and He will abide in you.
Being the hands and feet of Jesus, we have a unique opportunity to partner with Him in His work! Ministering to Him by allowing the Spirit to move through us and do the work He wants to do through us. What a true blessing and privilege it is to minister to the Lord. Let’s not delay, minister today.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an honor it is to minister to You, the Creator and Sustainer of this world and the Heavens above. Help us recognize these opportunities as they come about. Let us not squash the Spirit but allow Him to freely do what He wishes through us. In Your holy name, Amen.
Action: Try to do one of those 4 items listed above each day this week. As Jesus ministers to our spirit, we can minister to Him in return. What a beautiful partnership!
image: freepik.com