One of the major causes of despair and discouragement among people of God is delayed result, fruits, or fulfillment of God’s promise. Many of God’s precious children are unable to hold on to His promises while they serve God waiting for the due time or the appointed time.
[Malachi 3:13-18 KJV] “Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord . Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? [14] Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? [15] And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. [16] Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it , and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord , and that thought upon his name. [17] And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. [18] Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not”.
In the text above the prophet Malachi began to rebuke Israel that they had not just robbed God, but spoken stoutly against Him. The people had stopped giving tithes and offerings; they had stopped because they could not discern any benefits that they had gotten for serving God. They were no longer honoring God with their substance because they thought that even those who dishonoured God were more established. They saw the prosperity of the wicked and it made them slip. They did not consider the end of the wicked though.
It hurts when your own children begin to dishonour and speak stoutly against you because they think there is no benefit in serving you.
The Bible tells us that there are three things that remains; hope, faith and love; but love endures all. Until the reason for serving is love, you will not survive the time. There are times when people serve because they believe something, at other times, people serve because they hope for something; but God wants us to serve Him because we love Him, because we have a relationship with him. When you serve because you are believing in something, you might get discouraged when that thing delays in coming. When you serve hoping for something, your hope may be deferred and your heart may get sick; but when you serve because you love, nothing can change your reason for serving.
Beloved, it is a great thing to serve the Lord. We have His word and promise. You will slip when you compare with other. The wicked may look prospered and established but have you considered their end? Have you considered how they will end.
The Lord has said that as we get interested in serving Him, in winning souls, in serving in church, in building micro-churches, in praying, in ministering in the music ministry, in serving in evangelism and soul winning, He will soon begin to favour you above others. He will favour you as a man spares His son that serve Him.
God is not unrighteous to forget our labor of love. It is time to bounce back! It is time to remember from where you have fallen, repent, and begin to do the first works. Your labor will not be in vain. It is a great thing to serve the Lord. Stay blessed!
I love you;
Noah Simpe Bediako
