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January 21, 2020

Luke 17:7-10

“Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
New International Version (NIV)

A friend told me of a member in his church who was diagnosed with cancer. This church member said to his pastor, “Can you believe God let this happen to me? After all I have done for him, how could God let me get cancer?” It was an honest question spoken with deep emotion, but it raises important questions.

What does God owe us? I mean, after all of the things we do for God, doesn’t he owe us something? If we do enough good things, can’t we expect something in return? This kind of reciprocity is often the way human relationships work.

Jesus’ parable reminds us that we are not God’s peers but his servants. He is not saying that God is discourteous to us as his servants. Instead he is reminding us that we are not in a position to expect God’s repayment. God has given us everything we have. How exactly could he owe us?

Paul picks up a similar thought in Romans 11:35-36, “Who has ever given to God that God should repay them? For from him and through him and for him are all things.” On another occasion he would say, “I am debtor.”

What do we owe God? Our very lives. God does not owe us anything, but we owe him everything. Years ago at a revival in Colorado, I sang a Larnelle Harris song called, “Seekers of your Heart.” Consider the words: “Lord we want to know you, live our lives to show you, all the love we owe you. We are seekers of your heart.”

Pray with me:

Father, we give you our thanks today for your many kindnesses to us. Thank you for letting us wake up this morning. This was by no means a given. Thank you for the good gifts of sleep, food and family. Help us to live our lives and give our lives back to you moment by moment. Forgive our entitlement. The good we have done in your name is our offering of thanks for all that you have given to us. We can never repay you for the death of your Son. You will never owe us. But we delight to give back to you the lives that you have given to us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Join us in memorizing the Word. Scripture for this week:

Matthew 5:7-8

Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.

Our 2020 Every Day with Jesus readings will follow the Foundations New Testament reading plan. Copies of the reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download your copy at REPLICATE.ORG

We would love for you to join us as we read the New Testament through this year, five chapters a week. In addition I will continue my long-standing practice of reading one Psalm a day through the year. Use Robby Gallaty’s H. E. A. R. plan to study each chapter (also found at REPLICATE.ORG). Highlight verses which speak to you, explain what they mean in your own words in a journal, apply them to your own life, then respond by doing what God tells you to do.

Joyfully,
Duane

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Houston, TX | 77024 US

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