The first week, I got to deliver a 10 minute devotion to the ladies before we began our Bible study. We're working through Priscilla Shirer's SEED Pack, which is basically a series of topical, stand-alone studies aimed at equipping women to study the Bible on their own. The theme of the first week was "Forgotten". Below is a transcript of the devo I shared, for your reading pleasure and (hopefully) edification.
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OPENING VIDEO CLIP: The Golden Years from ‘The Incredibles’
How many of you have felt like Mr. Incredible? I know all us women chuckle a bit at that statement he makes about feeling like a maid because we can totally relate! Sometimes it feels like we are constantly working hard - giving our all - but our work just never ends. We get no thanks or recognition for it.
We’re tired and worn down - not just physically, but mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
I want you all to think for a minute and ask yourself if there’s a way in which you are working or serving, and feel forgotten, overlooked or under appreciated. (I’m sure you probably won’t have to think for very long…)
- Maybe you’re slaving away at work and keep getting overlooked or passed up for a promotion or award.
- Maybe you’re volunteering for an organization or at your church and you just don’t feel like you’re getting very much out of it considering how many hours you put in.
- Maybe you worked really hard to get plugged in, making friends and serving your community at your last duty station and now you’ve moved to Korea and have to start all over again and are just tired of being constantly uprooted. No one likes to be the new person...
- Maybe you spend all day cleaning your house only to have your family trash it again right after they walk through the door. (“Can’t this place just stay clean for like - 10 minutes??”)
- I won’t even get started on you moms in the room. Priscilla opens her devo for this week talking about those long nights spent pacing the nursery with a baby who just won’t go to sleep…And I was like - “PREACH IT, SISTER!” Talk about an all-consuming, draining, unglamorous, often thankless act of self-less service. Every day should be mother’s day, am I right??
Speaking of thankless jobs - can you imagine how the Old Testament prophets felt? Putting their lives on the line to warn God’s people about what’s going to happen if they don’t change their ways and start following God’s rules, only to have the Israelites ignore, spit on and persecute them for doing their job?
One of our key scriptures for this week comes from the book of Isaiah, chapter 49:2-4. This chunk of scripture is known as the second song of the suffering servant. It’s meant to foreshadow what Jesus will go through… but I’m sure Isaiah could relate as he penned the words God gave Him. If you want to follow along in your Bible please do. Or, if you already have a SEED book, it’s found on p. 26.
“He made my words of judgement as sharp as a sword. He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand. I am like a sharp arrow in his quiver. He said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel, and you will bring me glory.’ I replied, ‘But my work seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose. Yet I leave it all in the LORD’S hand; I will trust God for my reward.’”
Let’s try to pull a few lessons out of these verses that will hopefully encourage us as we continue to run the race.
(The Isaiah scripture was printed out and pasted on a board, where we circled our observations.)
ON A WHITE BOARD WITH THE SCRIPTURE PRINTED OUT: HIGHLIGHT - ‘He’ 3x.
It all begins with God. It’s easy to forget - but this is all about Him and what He has done and what He has called us to do.
I think the times we get the most burned out or the most discouraged are when we take our eyes off of Him and stop listening to Him and instead start looking at ourselves and our circumstances and listen for worldly comfort and affirmation. Instead we need to look to Him and remind ourselves of all He’s done for us - because we have already been blessed in so many, many ways!
2nd - what does He say to us?
BOARD: HIGHLIGHT - ‘You are my servant’, and ‘You will bring me glory.’
When we’re in the trenches, getting tired, with no end in sight and no thanks or reward, and we ask that inevitable, defeating question - “Why? Why am I doing this?” Remember - He has called us to serve Him and bring Him glory. We do this in our daily lives - whatever it is that He’s called us to do. As it says in Colossians 3:23 - “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for humans.” You may be overlooked or under appreciated by men - but ultimately, you’re not serving them. You’re serving the Lord! What an honor.
BOARD: CIRCLE - “Useless”, “nothing”, and “no purpose”.
We may feel like what we’re doing has no purpose and that we’re not getting anything out of it. But God promises in 1 Cor 15:58 when we give ourselves fully to the work of our Lord, none of the labor is useless. Others may not see it. You may not see it. But God sees the value in what you do and, eventually, He will reward you.
Ultimately, we learn here that God can and will use us as effective tools for his service and purposes. Isaiah describes the servant’s words as sharp like a sword and says He’s like a sharp arrow in God’s quiver. This is strong imagery of war. When we serve the Lord, we are soldiers in His army, and His Spirit living in us makes us powerful and dangerous to the enemy. How cool!
He has called us to bring Him glory through our service on the daily battle field. We may not always see the purpose or usefulness of the work we do. But we are in his hands, as it says, and all we need to do is surrender to His will and He will do the rest.
So the big question we’re left with here at the end is:
BOARD: Circle: “I will trust God for my reward”
Can we trust Him?
Do you trust that what He calls you to do has value and significance?
Do you trust Him enough to follow Him, no matter what He asks you to do, or are you letting your fear, fatigue, or pride hold you back?
Do you trust that He loves you and will take care of all your needs, even when no one else seems to notice or care about your needs?
Do you trust Him with your present and your future?
If you have a hard time trusting Him to justify the work you’re doing - why is that?
As I wrestled with this, I realized that I believe He’s able to use me for big things but I’m afraid of what may be required of me and how big He wants me to go, so I get in my own way. I trust He’ll provide a reward in the end, but I don’t trust Him to always take care of me till then. (At least, not in the way I’d like to be taken care of.) I cling to my earthly comforts instead of surrendering to His will and running toward the eternal reward He’s promised.
What about you? Do you trust Him? Is his love, appreciation, and the reward He offers ENOUGH for you?
I want to be the sharp arrow and ACT for His Glory, even if no one else notices or pats me on the back for my efforts! Will you join me?
Let’s pray.
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