Will you serve God for nothing?

Job 1:9-12
9 Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 " Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 " But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face."
NASU

Job 13:15
15 "Though He slay me ,
I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him.
NASU

Oswald Chambers--"Faith by its very nature must be tried, and the real trial fo faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that God's character has to be cleared in our minds. Faith in its actual working out has to go through spells of unsyllabled isolation. . . . Faith in the Bible is faith in God against everything that contradicts him--I will remain true to God's character whatever he may do. 'Though he slay me, yet will I trust him' is the most sublime of faith in all of Scripture."

Will a man serve God for nothing?

This tantalizing question is asked by Satan in the book of Job. A great contest has begun, a contest to see the limits of Job's trust in the character and faithfulness of God. In order to win the contest, Jobe would have to suffer the loss of many things, even the loss of whatever sense of God's approval he may have had.

What a test!

How would you do?

Will we serve God without expecting anything in return?

Will we love those around you (even those who don't "deserve" it or who mistreat you)? Will we pray for others, encourage them, live for them, without expectation that they will repay us?

At one point in his ministry, Jesus told his disciples to love on those folks who could not possibly pay them back. In Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus reminds us that we should love those who even despise us, to love them without expectation of love in return. In fact, we are told that doing so is in some sense like God!

The recent news of the slayings of young Amish girls has startled our country. What you may not hear in the midst of all the "horrible" news is the fact that one of the families who lost a daughter have reached out to the parents of the killer. That's right, they have asked them to come to the funeral, to receive love from the community, to receive forgiveness and acceptance. This Amish family is willing to forgive the horrible injustice done to them.

During the latest violent protests of Muslims against the Pope and his statements regarding Islam, a group of Muslims killed a nun. Shot her in the back. Her response as she bled to death? "Forgive them, forgive them."

Will we relate to others with the same spirit? Are we willing to receive nothing for our efforts? No acclaim, no recogition, not even a "thank you"?

Will we be hidden for God or do we want the limelight too much?

Dear God, you alone have the words of life. Teach us to cease our selfish ambitions and to lose ourselves in loving you and loving others. Not a reciprocating kind of love, but an unconditional, no-holds-barred love that remains faithful even when the evidence for faith has ceased. Teach us to love as you loved. Thank you.

For God so loved the world that he gave . . .

Thanks for reading!