Daily Delight
What comes to mind when you hear the name Jesus? As of late, the name of my sweet Savior has evoked fear in my heart. As I think about His return, I find myself fretting over whether or not He will find my life acceptable. Will I have done enough? Will He see the fruit He desired from my life? Recently, I was reminded of the parable of the ten servants in Luke 19. In this passage, Jesus tells the story of a nobleman who goes off to a distant land for a time and leaves a few servants in charge of some money. In verse 13, the nobleman tells his servants, “Engage in business until I come” (Luke 19:13, ESV). Upon his return, the nobleman praised and rewarded each servant who did as they were told. One servant, however, chose to hide the money he was given out of fear of the nobleman. At first, this parable confirmed my fear. Upon hearing a co-worker speak on it, however, my perspective changed. The nobleman does not reward his servants because of their success. Rather, he rewards them because they did as they were told. They obediently engaged in business.Similarly, Jesus is not asking us to be successful in everything we do until He returns. Not at all! He simply calls us to engage in loving God and loving others (Matthew 22:37-39). King David captured the essence of God’s heart toward us in Psalm 51:16-17, “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.” David understood that God was not interested in actions or results, but in the heart behind them. Sister, if you are in a place similar to me, wondering whether God will find the work of your hands acceptable, know this: If your heart is in the right place, and you are seeking God, that is what matters. He wants your heart, not just your actions or offerings. Jesus loves you, He is for you, and He is faithful to provide the fruit. All you need to do is engage with Him.
