Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
1 Corinthians 15:58 NLT
Martin Luther was a devout monk whose love for the Word of God brought us the Protestant Reformation. Luther didn’t always want to be a monk, however. He started out as a brilliant lawyer. But in a moment of fear, he vowed to become a monk if he survived a dangerous lightning storm. Despite his father’s disappointment, Luther dedicated himself to the church.
Martin Luther’s father felt his son’s talents were being wasted, but he was completely unaware that he would change the world forever.
Nothing we give to God is wasted, whether for praise, worship, or works of the kingdom. Sometimes that offering is in the form of sacrifice. Elizabeth Elliot and her husband, Jim, faced cannibals to spread the Gospel. Years after Jim’s violent death, Elizabeth wrote, “I will offer to God both my tears and my exultation. Nothing we offer to Him will be lost.” God has kept every tear in a bottle, and He knows their price (see Psalm 56:8).
God has promised that when we give ourselves for His sake, He will return “pressed down, shaken together, and running over” (Luke 6:38 NKJV). Whether our reward is in this life or the next, God’s promise has been and will always be faithful.
Lord, what treasures and gifts do I have that can be offered for You? I wish to dedicate the best I have to Your service. Amen.
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Today’s reading was adapted from Daily Wisdom for Women: 2017 Devotional Collection with permission from Barbour Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reading was written by Sabrina McDonald.