October 2, 2025
24 But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.
Today, we dive into our final reflections on 1 Samuel 12:24.Previously, we learned that serving God begins with a healthy fear of Him and a deep respect for the authority He holds over our lives. We also discovered that true service must be marked by commitment and purity—pointing directly to the motivation of our hearts. Are we offering the Lord a casual, half-hearted kind of service? Or are we daring to serve Him with spiritual fervor and zeal (Romans 12:11)?
I pray we’ve come to understand that Jesus deserves nothing less than our whole hearts—our time, energy, and soul—as we commit ourselves to serving Him.
Today, we turn to the final portion of Samuel’s words, in which he declares that we must serve God by remembering the great things He has done for us. What a powerful and beautiful truth to meditate on. Samuel is directing our minds to the foundational reason behind all of our service: gratitude. He’s telling us that our service to God should flow from a heart overwhelmed with sincere thankfulness for all He has done. In other words, we are not carving out time in our schedules to serve Jesus because someone else told us to, or because a church expects it of us. Nor should we ever give to God out of reluctance or pressure. Rather, we are to give cheerfully and gratefully, from hearts that truly desire to honor Him (2 Corinthians 9:7).
If we’re honest, there are many days when we simply don’t feel like serving God. We may not feel like showing up for our responsibilities, helping others, or loving people in a Christ-honoring way. Our flesh is weak, and we’re often led by our fluctuating emotions. But Scripture doesn’t call us to be led by our feelings—it calls us to walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). Paul writes to the Galatians, urging them not to use their freedom in Christ to indulge the flesh or follow their emotions, but instead to serve one another humbly in love (Galatians 5:13). We are commanded elsewhere to do everything without grumbling or complaining (Philippians 2:14). How can we get to this place? How can we serve God rightly?
I believe Samuel is offering us the key to overcoming the weakness of our flesh and the instability of our emotions: remember. Instead of focusing on how we feel or on the pressures of life, we are called to remember all that Jesus has done for us. We lack motivation because we forget the depth of our salvation. What if Jesus had abandoned His mission because of how He felt in the moment? None of us would be saved. Yet, He endured the cross, embracing its suffering, to show the vastness of His love for us. All we need to do is remember—remember His sacrifice, remember His grace, remember His love. And in response, we offer our lives in service as a “thank you” to our Lord and Savior.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, I’ve allowed my flesh to govern my feelings and dictate how I serve You. Fill me with Your Spirit, with Your zeal, and with Your joy. Thank You for saving me and loving me when I least deserved it. Today, I want to serve You with a sincere and grateful heart. Amen.